Padilla Statement on Senate Passage of Laken Riley Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement after the Senate passed the Laken Riley Act : “This bill puts a target on the backs of millions of people, including children, requiring mandatory detention of immigrants who are arrested even for minor, non-violent offenses — even if they are never charged or convicted. Good faith efforts to improve this legislation were rejected. As it stands, the bill would divert the focus and resources away from the detention and deportation of violent criminals, making us all less safe. “We must prioritize bills that offer practical and necessary improvements to our immigration system, while ensuring our borders are secure, orderly, and humane. This bill moves us further from that goal.”