Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of The Laken Riley Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after voting against theLaken Riley Act:
“The loss of a child is something no parent should have to endure, and we should do everything possible to make sure what happened to Laken Riley never happens again. But as I have said numerous times, this bill will not accomplish its stated goal. I’m genuinely disappointed in the passage of this bill as it stands and deeply concerned about how it will be implemented.”
Last week, Durbinoutlinedhis concerns with theLaken Riley Acton the Senate floor. He alsofiledtwo amendments to theLaken Riley Actto protect Dreamers, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients and individuals eligible for DACA.
TheLaken Riley Actwill amend the mandatory detention provisions of theImmigration and Nationality Actto require the federal government to take custody of anyone who entered the country illegally, violated the terms of their immigration status, or had their visa revoked, and is thereafter arrested, charged, or convicted for a crime involving burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The “arrest” standard is impossible to explain or defend. The legislation also gives state attorneys general the standing to sue federal immigration authorities for actions completely unrelated to stopping violent crime.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Durbin’s office that this legislation will require them to detain more than 65,000 immigrants. But Congress has only provided ICE with funding to detain 42,000 people, and the agency is already holding nearly that many. ICE estimates the annual cost of this new mandate at $26 billion, more than two and a half times ICE’s current budget of $9.6 billion.
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