US Senate forwards bill targeting undocumented immigrants accused of theft-related crimes
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Critics call Democratic lawmakers ‘spineless’ for joining GOP in making bill potentially big legislative win for Donald Trump. The US Senate on Friday cleared the way for final approval of a bill that targets undocumented immigrants accused of theft-related crimes, a preview of how Republicans will use their majorities to help Donald Trump deliver on his long-promised border crackdown – and an early test of how Democrats will respond.
The Laken Riley Act, named after a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was murdered last year by a Venezuelan national, cleared a key procedural hurdle by a vote of 61-35, with 10 Democrats joining Republicans to advance it. A vote on final passage was scheduled for early next week, making it potentially one of the first pieces of legislation he signs as president.
Under the bill, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) would be required to detain undocumented immigrants charged with crimes such as “burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting”. It would also allow state attorneys general to sue the federal government if they believed their states had been harmed by its failure to enforce immigration laws.
Immigrant rights groups and legal experts have raised concerns that the bill, if enacted, would infringe on individuals’ right to due process and could undermine federal authority to enforce immigration law. On Friday, progressives slammed Democrats for helping deliver Trump a swift legislative victory.
“Spineless. That’s the only word for the 10 Senate Democrats who handed Maga Republicans a gift they didn’t deserve,” said Sarah Dohl, chief campaigns officer of the progressive group Indivisible. “The Laken Riley Act is a racist, xenophobic attack on immigrants that shreds constitutional rights and hands power to extremists like [Texas attorney general] Ken Paxton to hijack federal immigration policy. It’s not just cruel – it’s a train wreck of chaos and bad faith. And yet, Senate Democrats caved.”.
