Senate Clears Procedural Hurdle on Laken Riley Act, Setting Up Vote Next Week

The Senate will vote on the final passage of the Laken Riley Act next week after dozens of Democrats joined with Republicans to bypass the filibuster and begin debate. Following a devastating loss to President Trump last year, in part, due to voters’ frustrations over immigration, Democrats believe appearing tough on deportations may help them in the future despite concerns raised by pro-immigration and civil liberties groups. The Senate voted 84 to 9 to begin debate and the amendment process on the bill, which would allow Democrats to make changes to the legislation if they can find just four GOP votes. Many Democrats have said they are unsure how they will vote on final passage of the bill, pending the results of the amendment process. The bill is named for a University of Georgia student who was murdered last year by a migrant who had been paroled into the country by the Department of Homeland Security. He was subsequently arrested on theft charges in New York, though he was released pre-trial and moved to Georgia. He was found guilty by a judge for the murder in a bench trial. The legislation, if adopted, will force the detention of any non-citizen who has been charged with crimes like theft or burglary. It also gives additional powers to state prosecutors to challenge federal immigration procedures such as visa issuances in court, which could result in one federal district court judge suspending visas for entire countries. Senator Fetterman was the first Democrat to co-sponsor the bill after the House passed it overwhelmingly earlier this week. He told Fox News that same day that it is “common sense” to get tougher on immigration issues after the results of the last election. Senator Slotkin announced on Wednesday that she planned to support the bill because her home state of Michigan went to Trump this year, which she took as a sign that her constituents were crying out for action on immigration. “Michiganders have spoken loudly and clearly that they want action to secure our southern border. We must get past petty partisanship that continues to dominate the immigration debate,” Ms. Slotkin wrote in a post on X. Some Senate Democrats began sounding the alarm about the implications of the bill just this week. Opponents of the legislation warn that it would grant too much power to state attorneys general to suspend visa programs and detain people who have only been charged — not convicted — for things like petty theft. Senator Hirono warned at a press conference that the Laken Riley Act would “enable authorities to detain 10-year-olds and younger who maybe stole a stick of gum.”Mr. Fetterman tells The New York Sun that he sees why people are concerned about those issues, but reaffirmed his support for the legislation on Wednesday. “I’m not saying it’s a perfect bill, but for me, your average American would be more concerned of the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people, you know, here in our nation illegally with criminal records that are really engaging in criminal activity,” the Pennsylvania senator said. The Senate will proceed to debate and an amendment process early next week, meaning the bill could be passed by Wednesday or Thursday. Senator Thune can hold the bill in the Senate for as long as he wants, meaning it could be the first piece of legislation Trump signs once he is inaugurated on January 20.

Senate Clears Procedural Hurdle on Laken Riley Act, Setting Up Vote Next Week

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