CNN
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The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to pass a Republican-led bill that would require the detention of illegal immigrants charged with certain crimes, prompting President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans to choose to introduce the bill as the first of a series of new bills. brought early parliamentary victories. meeting.
The bill, known as the Laken Riley Act, will be sent to the White House for signature after the Senate approved it earlier this week. The House vote was 263-156, with 46 Democrats voting in favor.
Republicans made the bill a top priority after their victories in the House, Senate and White House, but with Republicans controlling a slim majority, the bill will not move forward in the Senate without support from key Democrats. It would not have been possible to proceed to final approval.
Passage of the bill comes as President Trump has pledged to make immigration enforcement a central part of his agenda, giving Republicans a legislative breakthrough within a week of the president’s return to the White House. . But the bill faces major hurdles to implementation, with federal officials warning lawmakers that existing resources are insufficient to carry it out.
The fact that the bill received significant support from Democrats comes as Democratic lawmakers in competitive states and districts say the party needs to do more to address voters’ concerns about immigration. This suggests that there are notable changes in the party following Trump’s presidential victory.
But the bill exposes divisions within the party, with some Democrats arguing it’s a common-sense measure and others saying it threatens to undermine civil liberties, due process and public safety. he claimed.
This bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to notify individuals who are in the United States illegally or without legal status if they are indicted, arrested, convicted, or admit to certain criminal offenses, such as theft or robbery. requires the detention of illegal immigrants who do so. The Senate adopted an amendment that expands the list of criminal offenses covered by the bill to include assault on a law enforcement officer and crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
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The bill is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia student who was killed while fleeing last year. An illegal immigrant from Venezuela was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole in a case that reignited a national debate over immigration and crime.
One controversial but little-known provision of the bill would give state attorneys general the power to sue in federal court over decisions by federal authorities, including immigration judges, to release certain immigrants from detention. is. It also could file a lawsuit asking the State Department to impose visa sanctions on countries that refuse to accept nationals subject to deportation.
Democrats who oppose the bill say it undermines public safety by allowing courts to second-guess legitimate decisions made by front-line law enforcement officers, and that the bill undermines public safety by allowing courts to second-guess legitimate decisions made by front-line law enforcement officers. They argue that giving federal judges overly expansive human rights powers could undermine U.S. foreign policy. Even blocking visas.
The bill is currently moving through Congress, but there are hurdles to its implementation.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement privately warned lawmakers in recent weeks that the Laken-Riley Act would require ramp-up time and increased funding.
“It will not be possible for ICE to fully implement this within its existing resources,” the agency said in a memo to members of Congress obtained by CNN this month.
The agency said the estimated initial cost of $3.2 billion to implement the law “does not represent the full cost of implementation.”
ICE is funded for 41,500 detention beds. More than 39,000 people were in ICE custody as of early December, according to the agency.
ICE estimated that 110,000 additional beds would be needed to support the population targeted by the new law, far exceeding current inventory.
“If additional resources are provided, a ramp-up period will be required due to implementation challenges such as hiring, detention bed availability, and contract/acquisition timelines,” the memo states. .
President Trump moved quickly after taking office on Monday, taking a series of sweeping immigration executive actions, including declaring a national emergency at the U.S. southern border and beginning the process of abolishing birthright citizenship. , the move has already sparked legal challenges.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
CNN’s Tierney Sneed contributed to this report.
