US Congress Enacts Laken Riley Act Amid Trump's Immigration Crackdown
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Synopsis
The US Congress approved the Laken Riley Act, enhancing pretrial detention for undocumented immigrants, marking a legislative triumph for President Trump in his immigration crackdown, amidst bipartisan support and significant controversy over costs and due process concerns.
Key Takeaways
- The Laken Riley Act mandates detention for undocumented immigrants charged with theft-related crimes.
- Bipartisan support with votes from both Republicans and Democrats.
- Legislation linked to President Trump's immigration policies.
- Concerns raised about costs and due process violations.
- Named after Laken Riley, a victim of violent crime.
Washington, Jan 23 (NationPress) The Republican-led US Congress delivered President Donald Trump a significant victory in his efforts to address illegal immigration on Wednesday, approving a bill designed to broaden pretrial detention for foreign criminal suspects, according to reports.
This legislation will represent President Trump's inaugural law during his second term.
The Laken Riley Act stipulates the detention of undocumented immigrants accused of theft-related offenses.
The Senate passed the bill with a vote of 64-35 earlier this week, and the House of Representatives followed suit with a narrow 263-256 vote.
Receiving bipartisan backing, the bill saw support from 46 Democrats in the House and 12 in the Senate.
This new legislation aligns with President Donald Trump's immigration policies, which he reinforced on his first day in office by issuing executive orders regarding mass deportations and deploying US troops to the southern border to curb illegal entries.
The Laken Riley Act is named in memory of 22-year-old student Laken Riley, who was tragically murdered by an undocumented Venezuelan man previously wanted for shoplifting.
Jose Antonio Ibarra, aged 26, was found guilty of Riley's murder after her body was discovered in a wooded area at the University of Georgia in Athens.
The new legislation mandates that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detain undocumented immigrants who are either arrested or charged with specific crimes, including burglary, theft, larceny, and shoplifting, or those accused of assaulting law enforcement officers.
The bill was passed in both chambers after amendments were made to the original text to extend mandatory detention to include offenses that result in death or severe bodily harm.
During his election campaign last November, President Trump cited the Laken Riley case as evidence of immigrants "poisoning the blood" of the nation.
Democrats raised concerns during discussions, arguing that the implementation of the law would incur an estimated cost of $83 billion over the first three years, exceeding the annual budget of the Homeland Security Department.
Numerous Congress members also expressed that the new law could infringe upon due process rights.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez contended that detaining individuals who are merely accused, but not convicted, of a crime would represent a fundamental suspension of a core American principle.
