Senate passes immigrant detention bill that could be first measure signed by Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — Just after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Senate passed a bill Monday that would require federal authorities to detain migrants accused of theft and violent crimes, the first measure he will likely sign and giving more weight to his projects. expel millions of migrants.

Trump has made a large-scale crackdown on illegal immigration his top priority, and Congress, with Republicans in charge and some Democrats willing to follow him, is showing he is ready to follow suit. The bill passed 64-35, with 12 Democrats joining Republicans voting in favor.

Passage of the Laken Riley Act — named after a Georgia nursing student whose killing by a Venezuelan last year became a rallying cry for Trump’s White House campaign — was a sign of the how Congress has shifted radically to the right on border security and immigration. The passage came just minutes before Trump signed the first of his executive orders.

“We don’t want criminals coming into our country,” Trump told supporters at the Capitol earlier Monday, adding that he looked forward to signing a bill “within a week or so.”

The bill now heads to the Republican-controlled House, which passed its version earlier this month and will need to approve changes in the Senate. The Senate expanded legislation to target immigrants who assault a police officer or are charged with crimes that kill or seriously injure someone.

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Trump has already ended many of former President Joe Biden’s border and immigration programs, turning the United States away from Democrats’ attempts at more humane immigration policies at a time when record numbers of people sometimes arrived at the border with Mexico. Rapid action on immigration policy in the new Congress proved that Democrats no longer resist some tough enforcement proposals.

“Anyone who commits a crime must be held accountable. That’s why I voted to pass the Laken Riley Act,” Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Democrat of Nevada, said on social media after its passage. Sen. John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, said a “secure border” and support for immigration were “entirely compatible.”

The bill passed a key procedural vote in the Senate last week also with Democratic support, and similar legislation gained support from 48 House Democrats earlier this month.

“If you enter this country illegally and commit a crime, you should not be free to walk the streets of this country,” said Sen. Katie Britt, Republican of Alabama, who helped pass the bill. bill in the Senate.

The legislation would require federal authorities to detain migrants accused of crimes, including shoplifting, and give states new legal authority to challenge federal immigration decisions, including those of immigration judges .

Critics of the bill say the provision will open the door for Republican state attorneys general to wage a legal battle against federal immigration decisions, injecting even more uncertainty and partisanship into immigration policy.

The expulsion of millions of migrants or the implementation of the Laken Riley Act will largely depend on Congress’ ability to allocate the nearly $100 billion proposed by Republicans for border security and immigration control. Republicans are debating how to approve that money through a process known as budget reconciliation that will allow them to pass it through Congress based solely on party-line votes.

That won’t be easy in the House, where Republicans hold the majority with just a few seats. They will also face intense pressure to balance their commitments to reducing budget deficits with their concerns about the economic and humanitarian impacts of mass evictions.

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Currently, the Laken Riley Act has no funding, but Democrats on the Appropriations Committee estimate the bill would cost $83 billion over the next three years, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement estimated it would need to nearly triple the number of detention beds and conduct more than 80 deportation flights per week to implement the requirements, according to the memo.

“That’s a lot of money to spend on a bill that will sow chaos, punish legal immigrants and undermine due process in America – all while diverting resources from the real threats,” said Washington Sen. Patty Murray , the party’s top Democrat. Senate Appropriations Committee, in a speech last week.

Democrats have also raised concerns about its impact on immigrants who received protection from deportation under an Obama-era program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Trump sought to end the program during his first term, but he also appeared at times willing to allow people covered by the program to remain in the United States.