The US Congress on Wednesday handed Republican President Donald Trump legislation allowing the detention of immigrants living illegally in the United States and accused of theft, with a significant number of Democrats voting in favor.
The House of Representatives, with a Republican majority, approved by 263 votes in favor and 156 against the Laken Riley Act, which Trump must sign. It is expected to be the first of several measures Republicans will take this year to strengthen border security and further stem the flow of migrants into the United States.
The House of Representatives passed the bill with 46 Democrats joining 217 Republicans. The Senate did so earlier this week with the help of 12 of the 47 Democrats and independents who are part of its parliamentary group. Without those dozen votes, the measure would have died in Congress by now.
The bill is named after a college student murdered in the state of Georgia by a man of Venezuelan origin who was living illegally in the United States and who had a history of shoplifting. He is currently serving a life sentence in prison.
The bill would require the detention of immigrants suspected of robbery or other crimes such as shoplifting, even if they have not been charged with a crime.
Trump won the November presidential election after making immigration a major issue during his campaign, emboldening Republicans to press ahead with their tough-on-immigrant agenda.
Democrats who supported the bill said they were reflecting their constituents’ concerns about immigration.
“The American people want us to do something about the border and I think we would have a hard time not saying we have to deport criminals,” Rep. Tom Suozzi, a moderate Democrat who voted in favor of the bill, told Reuters.
Some more liberal Democrats have accused the party of taking a soft stance on immigration after the 2024 elections, when Republicans took majority control of the Senate and maintain a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives.
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, one of the most liberal members of the caucus, on Wednesday called it “disheartening” that so many Democrats supported the bill.
House Democratic Caucus Leader Pete Aguilar said there has been no retreat in his party’s support for immigration reforms, noting that it was Republicans who have repeatedly eliminated laws that were strong on immigration. border security and aimed to modernize US immigration law.
“The Democrats have not changed on this issue,” Aguilar said in response to a question from Reuters. “We will continue to talk about Dreamers and farmworkers” and those immigrants who have legal status in the United States, he added. The term “dreamers” refers to immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children.
Almost a year ago, a similar bill passed the House of Representatives with the support of 37 Democrats, but failed in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
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