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The Senate has advanced the Laken Riley Act, a immigration bill that mandates the detention of undocumented immigrants accused of theft and related crimes.

Some shit you should know before you read: Last year, Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia, was brutally murdered while jogging near her home. She was attacked, strangled, and beaten to death by Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela with a history of prior arrests, including shoplifting and child endangerment. Ibarra entered the US illegally in 2022 and was released after his arrests due to insufficient detention space and delays in issuing immigration detainers. His failure to appear in court for a shoplifting charge months before the attack fueled public outrage and calls for reform, culminating in the proposed Laken Riley Act.

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What’s going on now: In a notable development, the United States Senate moved to advance the Laken Riley Act, a bill that had already cleared the House with bipartisan support. The legislation mandates the detention of undocumented immigrants arrested for crimes such as theft, burglary, larceny, and shoplifting, regardless of whether they have been convicted. The bill requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain these individuals immediately after their arrest, effectively removing the agency’s discretion to prioritize dangerous or violent offenders. It also gives state attorneys general authority to sue the federal government for failing to enforce immigration laws and allows them to block visas to individuals from countries that refuse to accept deportees.

The Senate’s procedural vote to begin debate on the bill, passing 82-10, marks a significant step toward its potential passage, though Democrats have vowed to propose amendments to narrow its provisions and mitigate its most controversial elements. If passed, the bill would enforce stricter immigration detention policies and fundamentally reshape the federal-state balance of power in immigration enforcement.

Critics of the Laken Riley Act argue that the bill’s broad provisions could lead to significant injustices and strain the already overburdened immigration system. They point out that the legislation requires detention based on arrests rather than convictions, raising concerns about due process and the risk of detaining individuals falsely accused of minor crimes, such as shoplifting. Opponents also warn that empowering state attorneys general to sue the federal government and block visas could create legal chaos, disrupt international relations, and politicize immigration enforcement.

On the other hand, supporters of the bill argue that it closes dangerous loopholes in immigration policy, ensuring that illegal immigrants who commit crimes are detained and prevented from reoffending. Proponents highlight the tragic murder of Laken Riley as evidence of the need for stricter enforcement, claiming the bill is a necessary step to protect American communities and hold the federal government accountable for enforcing immigration laws.

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