WASHINGTON — Newly within the minority, Democrats say they’ll vote with Republicans to advance laws that may require federal authorities to detain unauthorized immigrants who’ve been accused of sure crimes — one in every of President-elect Donald Trump’s priorities as he assumes workplace later this month.
Senate Democratic Chief Chuck Schumer introduced forward of the vote on Thursday that he’ll be a part of a number of of his celebration’s moderates in voting to proceed with the laws, which has turn out to be a high Republican precedence since Georgia nursing scholar Laken Riley was killed final 12 months by a Venezuelan man who entered the U.S. illegally and was allowed to remain to pursue his immigration case.
However Schumer hasn’t promised to vote for the invoice — and he made clear that Democrats will solely permit it to cross if Republicans work with them on bipartisan amendments. Thursday’s procedural vote will permit that course of to start.
New Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., “has said he wants to make the Senate a place where all members should have a chance to make their voices heard,” Schumer mentioned on the Senate flooring. “This bill would be a fine place to start.”
Schumer’s help for the invoice comes after Democrats misplaced the Senate and the presidency within the November elections, and try to thoughtfully choose their battles in opposition to Trump whereas additionally attempting to dam a lot of his agenda. Republicans will want seven Democratic votes to cross most main coverage gadgets within the 53-47 Senate, and Schumer has maintained that Thune should work with them to get issues carried out.
Reasonable Democrats have supported some Republican efforts to crack down on immigration and have signaled they’ll help the invoice. A number of Democrats who have been up for reelection final 12 months embraced stricter immigration controls as a option to blunt GOP assaults because the Biden administration struggled to handle an inflow of migrants on the Southwest border.
The Home handed the laws earlier this week, making the laws one of many first actions within the newly Republican-controlled Congress after seizing on Riley’s homicide as a rallying level through the election. It will require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to arrest unauthorized migrants who commit theft, housebreaking, larceny, or shoplifting offenses and mandate that they’re detained till they’re faraway from the U.S.
The invoice additionally would permit states to sue the federal authorities if they’ll display hurt attributable to immigrants who enter the nation illegally.
The Home handed the invoice final 12 months, however Schumer didn’t carry it up for a vote when Democrats have been within the majority.
