WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate voted Friday to advance a bill that would expand mass detention of immigrants charged or arrested for property crimes, marking one of the first measures signed into law by modern President Donald Trump became.
In one 61-35 procedural vote10 Senate Democrats joined with all Republicans to limit debate on it p. 5known as the Laken Riley Act, named after a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by a man who immigration authorities say entered the country illegally and was previously charged with shoplifting.
If the bill – which has already been passed by the House of Representatives – becomes law, it would be an early victory for Trump, who campaigned on his plans for tough immigration policies, including mass deportations, and often blamed the Biden administration’s immigration policies for Riley’s death made.
A final vote in the Senate is scheduled for Monday, after which the bill will be sent back to the House of Representatives a change from Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn, which would add assault on a police officer as a mandatory incarceration. It was agreed on a bipartisan 70-25 vote.
The Senate is also ready to vote another change Monday, one from Iowa’s GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, which also calls for mandatory detention requirements for “any crime that results in the death or serious bodily injury of another person.”
A change The Democrats’ filing, which was joined by Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, would have removed a section of the bill that gives state attorneys general broad legal authority to challenge federal laws as well as immigration judges’ bail decisions.
It was rejected in an internal party vote by 46-49, but it is an amendment that echoes one proposed by Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
Schumer is unhappy with the lack of debate
Before the vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he would not vote for the measure and criticized Senate Republicans for not allowing further votes on amendments.
“We have told Republicans that we want to have a serious, productive and fruitful debate on this bill, with the opportunity to vote on amendments (to change the bill),” the New York Democrat said. “Unfortunately, without further changes to address the deficiencies in the bill, I will be voting no.”
Lawyers and immigration experts have expressed grave concerns with the invoice. They argue that it would not only affect undocumented people, but also trap some immigrants with legal status, lead to the detention of children and force the U.S. State Department to stop issuing visas to a country that is refuses to accept deportable nationals.
Additionally, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has estimated the cost of enforcing the law at $26.9 billion in the first year. according to NPR. The budget for ICE for fiscal year 2024 is about $9 billion.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said before the vote that if ICE does not have the capacity to implement the law, “the answer is to provide those resources.”
The South Dakota Republican added that this is the case with Senate Republicans
“A bill is currently being drafted that would provide ICE with additional agents and additional detention capacity.”
Last updated on January 17, 2025 at 6:13 p.m
