As the U.S. Senate prepares to debate the Laken Riely Act this week, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) remains confident the bill will gain enough bipartisan support to pass, given the political mandate shown by the popular election of Donald Trump last November.
"The Laken Riley Act is ultimately going to save lives. It is a commonsense piece of legislation, and it actually puts the talk that we have been having over the last four years into action," Britt said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." "Jake, there's been no more litigated issue over the last four years than President Biden and Vice President Harris' open border policies. It is my belief that the American people entered a verdict on that on November 5, saying we are ready for secure borders. We want our streets and our communities to be safe and secure. This is the first step in doing this. This is a targeted piece of legislation that goes directly to the heart of the tragedy that occurred with Laken Riley."
Britt said she was encouraged by the number of Democrats who have already voiced support for the bill.
"As we continue to debate this and talk about the merits of it this week, it'll garner more support. And, as you know, Jake, it passed the House not once but twice. Last year, in the last Congress, it passed with 37 Democrats supporting. This year, it had 48 Democrats supporting it. So it's a bipartisan piece of legislation that has 60% of the House. I expect it to get 60% or more in the Senate."
One of the objections some Democrats have against the bill is concern it might be applied too broadly. Britt said the act would only apply to illegal aliens who have been charged or convicted of committing a crime.
"We have 11 million illegal immigrants in this nation. Of that, 7.8 million of those are actually in removal proceedings," she said. "Of the 7.8 that are in removal proceedings, Jake, 1.4 million of those have been given final orders of removal, meaning they have been given due process, and we have said it is time for you to leave."
She continued, "I think, at the end of the day, if you don't commit a crime, the Laken Riley Act, you're not subject to it. So I think we should start there. I think Democrats have to wake up and realize that Americans are sick of excuses, and they're ready for action. And as long as you don't commit a crime, this doesn't apply to you. And I think people would agree that if you do commit a crime, you should go to the front of the line when it comes to detention and removal.
"Of those numbers that I talked about, only 1% of illegal immigrants are actually being detained, less than 1% of those in removal proceedings. So I think, Jake, it's about 40,000 that are being detained. Of those 40,000 being detained, 15,000 of them have committed crimes. I think the American public would take a look at this and say, yes, if you came illegally and then you chose to commit a crime against Americans, whether that's property or life, that we are saying, yes, you go to the front of the line when it comes to detention and deportation."
To connect with the story's author or comment, email daniel.taylor@1819news.com or find him on X and Facebook.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
