In a move that critics are calling “spineless,” a group of Senate Democrats joined with Republicans on Friday to advance a bill that would crack down on undocumented immigrants accused of theft-related crimes. The Laken Riley Act, named after a Georgia woman allegedly murdered by a Venezuelan national last year, cleared a key procedural vote 61-35, with 10 Democrats siding with the GOP.
Under the bill, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be required to detain undocumented immigrants charged with crimes like burglary and shoplifting. It would also allow state attorneys general to sue the federal government for failing to enforce immigration laws. The bill now heads to a final vote next week and could become one of the first pieces of legislation signed by President Trump, who has long promised a tough border crackdown.
Democrats Slammed for “Caving” to GOP
Progressive activists and immigrant rights advocates wasted no time blasting the Senate Democrats who supported the measure. “Spineless. That’s the only word for the 10 Senate Democrats who handed MAGA Republicans a gift they didn’t deserve,” said Sarah Dohl of the group Indivisible.
“The Laken Riley Act is a racist, xenophobic attack on immigrants that shreds constitutional rights and hands power to extremists like Ken Paxton to hijack federal immigration policy. It’s not just cruel – it’s a train wreck of chaos and bad faith.”
– Sarah Dohl, Indivisible
Critics argue the bill could violate due process rights and undermine federal authority over immigration. A DHS memo obtained by NPR warned the bill would cost nearly $27 billion in its first year alone and “would be impossible for ICE to execute within existing resources.”
Border State Democrats Back Bill
But the Democrats who supported the legislation, many hailing from border and swing states, defended their votes. Newly-elected Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, who co-sponsored the bill, said it was necessary to address the “real-life consequences” of illegal immigration.
“We must give law enforcement the means to take action when illegal immigrants break the law, to prevent situations like what occurred to Laken Riley.”
– Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)
Preview of Coming GOP Border Offensive
For Republicans, who will control both chambers of Congress and the White House come Monday, the Laken Riley Act offers an early taste of the hard-line immigration measures to come under the second Trump administration. GOP leaders have made clear they intend to provide Trump the resources for the mass deportations he has long championed.
As the Senate debated the bill Friday, Trump’s nominee for Homeland Security chief, Governor Kristi Noem, testified she would ensure ICE has all the “tools and resources” needed to execute Trump’s agenda. Earlier in the week, 61 House Democrats also backed a GOP bill to deport or block entry to immigrants convicted of sex crimes, which critics called redundant.
Democrats Urged to Develop Counter-Strategy
With more bills like this sure to come, immigration advocates are urging Democrats to devise a better response than “playing on GOP turf.” Vanessa Cárdenas of America’s Voice said Democrats are “never going to get the credit” for supporting these policies and instead need to “provide a contrast.”
How Democrats navigate this treacherous political terrain, with Republicans eager to paint them as “soft” on immigration and crime, may determine whether they can maintain the fragile coalition that barely kept the Senate in their hands last fall. But early indications suggest appeasing the GOP’s border hawks will remain a tempting path for vulnerable Democrats.
