Washington (AP) President Donald Trump’s promises to deport millions of migrants are set to get more traction after the Senate on Monday passed a bill requiring federal authorities to jail migrants accused of violent crimes and theft. This is the first legislation he is likely to sign into law after his inauguration.
With Republicans in power and some Democrats willing to cooperate, Congress is demonstrating that it is prepared to follow Trump’s lead and launch a comprehensive crackdown on illegal immigration. Twelve Democrats joined Republicans in voting in favor of the bill, which passed 64-35.
Congress has turned drastically to the right on immigration and border security, as evidenced by the passage of the Laken Riley Act, named after a Georgia nursing student whose murder by a Venezuelan man last year served as a rallying cry for Trump’s White House campaign. Minutes before Trump signed his first executive order, the passage was read.
Trump told supporters at the Capitol earlier Monday, “We don’t want criminals coming into our country,” and he said he was looking forward to signing a law in about a week.
The Republican-controlled House, which approved its version of the plan earlier this month, will now have to adopt the Senate’s modifications. Targeting immigrants who attack a police officer or are suspected of committing crimes that cause death or serious injury, the Senate broadened the scope of the law.
At a time when record numbers of migrants were occasionally coming at the border with Mexico, Trump is already cutting off several of former President Joe Biden’s immigration and border policies, shifting the United States away from the Democrat’s attempts at more compassionate immigration laws. The new Congress’s quick action on immigration policy demonstrated that Democrats were no longer opposing some stringent enforcement measures.
It is important to hold criminals accountable. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., posted on social media following the passing of the Laken Riley Act, saying, “That’s why I voted to pass it.” Support for immigration and a secure border are completely compatible, according to Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania.
With Democratic backing, the bill passed a crucial procedural vote in the Senate last week. Earlier this month, 48 House Democrats also backed similar legislation.
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who assisted in getting the bill through the Senate, stated that if someone enters the country illegally and commits a crime, they shouldn’t be allowed to roam the streets of our country.
The bill would give states new legal standing to contest federal immigration decisions, including those made by immigration judges, and would mandate that federal authorities jail migrants who are suspected of offenses like shoplifting.
The clause, according to the bill’s opponents, will allow Republican state attorneys general to challenge federal immigration rulings in court, further polarizing and confusing immigration policy.
The ability of Congress to approve the approximately $100 billion that Republicans have proposed for border security and immigration enforcement will be crucial in determining whether to deport millions of migrants or implement the Laken Riley Act. In order to push that money through Congress only on party-line votes, Republicans are arguing how to approve it through a process called budget reconciliation.
In the House, where Republicans control the majority by a slim margin, that won’t be simple. They will also be under tremendous pressure to strike a balance between their promises to control budget deficits and worries about the humanitarian and economic effects of mass deportations.
According to a letter acquired by The Associated Press, Democrats on the Appropriations Committee believe the Laken Riley Act will cost $83 billion over the next three years, even though it currently has no funds attached. According to the document, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has calculated that in order to meet the standards, it would have to almost treble the number of detention beds and perform over 80 removal flights weekly.
During a floor speech last week, Washington Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that’s a lot of money to spend on a bill that will cause chaos, punish legal immigrants, and undermine due process in America—all while diverting resources away from real threats.
Democrats also expressed worries over how it would affect immigrants who were protected from deportation under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. During his first term, Trump attempted to terminate the program, but he also periodically indicated that he would be amenable to letting people who were insured remain in the United States.