U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) is continuing to push for Senate Democrats to allow a vote on bipartisan legislation that would mandate the deportation of illegal aliens who commit certain crimes.
The U.S. Senate has twice delayed voting on the Laken Riley Act. The legislation would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal aliens who commit theft, burglary, larceny or shoplifting offenses and would mandate that these aliens be detained until they are removed from the United States so they cannot commit further crimes.
The bill's name comes from the February abduction and murder of Laken Riley, who was an undergraduate student at the Augusta University nursing school and a former student at the University of Georgia. The suspect in the case is a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, Jose Antonio Ibarra, from Venezuela, who police say abducted Riley while she was jogging on the UGA campus. Police previously released Ibarra after charging him with shoplifting.
Last week, Britt, the lead Senate sponsor of the bill, took the floor on Thursday, joined by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), to call for the Senate to finally pass the legislation. Senate Judiciary chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) objected and blocked the legislation from receiving a floor vote.
On Tuesday, Britt, Graham and every Republican member of the Judiciary Committee joined in a letter to Durbin, calling for him to allow the bill to the Senate floor.
Laken Riley Act by Craig Monger on Scribd
“This bipartisan bill is a common-sense measure that would help to avoid future tragedies resulting from the failure to enforce and follow immigration law, and we look forward to the Judiciary Committee’s consideration of it,” The letter reads. “The Laken Riley Act is but one of numerous pieces of legislation that Senate Republicans have introduced to better protect the American people from the consequences of the ongoing crisis at the southern border and to stop—not merely manage—the flow of illegal aliens to the southern border and into the United States. So far during this Congress, the Judiciary Committee has failed to take meaningful action on any of those bills. We hope that will change in the near future, and we request that you start with the Laken Riley Act.”
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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