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Gina Mann's avatar

Fetterman, Gallego, and reportedly Ossoff the first Senate Dems to sign onto the Laken Riley Act which was passed in the House. The bill allows the detention of illegal immigrants charged with a crime.

More house Democrats voted for the bill this year than last, signaling a lurch to the right on the issue of immigration.

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James Trout's avatar

If the Democratic Party wants to win over populists, it will mean having SOME socially conservative positions that base voters won't like. And not just in purple states either.

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Zero Cool's avatar

In this case, the detention of these specific immigrants charged with a crime is less divisive than deporting hordes of immigrants and migrants just simply because they illegally crossed the border. To me, this is more common sense.

Here's Gallego's statement on the bill:

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/01/08/congress/laken-riley-act-ruben-gallego-00197043

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тАЬWe must give law enforcement the means to take action when illegal immigrants break the law, to prevent situations like what occurred to Laken Riley,тАЭ he said in a statement.

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rayspace's avatar

Of course, that doesn't mean mass deportations won't happen--for MAGA, the act of crossing the border illegally is a crime worthy of expulsion. It doesn't have to be murder or any other crime.

I'm not saying that these D Sens are wrong, but if they think that supporting the deportation of people who've committed crimes will be limited to those charged and convicted of felonies, they're sadly mistaken.

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Zero Cool's avatar

Felony crimes differ depending on the nature of the crime. They donтАЩt by default apply to violent crimes.

However, my understanding is that this specific legislation is meant to target those who crossed border illegally and committed specific crimes in the U.S., not strictly the act of crossing the border illegally. This particularly applies to such crimes as stabbing and homicide. Whatever degrees of severity of the crime is contingent on how the legal system classifies them.

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Jonathan's avatar

imagine that.. the states they represent all voted for Trump

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Zero Cool's avatar

Same with MI as well. Senator Gary Peters has signed onto this bill.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/01/08/congress/laken-riley-act-ruben-gallego-00197043

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Darren Monaghan's avatar

The bill is actually common sense and gives Democrats some populist credibility by supporting. If they paired stuff like that with comprehensive immigration reform, a compromise would fix the damn issue for good (we can only dream)!! ЁЯТЩЁЯЗ║ЁЯЗ▓ЁЯТпЁЯШв

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ArcticStones's avatar

Few if any Americans would object if known drug traffickers, sex traffickers, and members of violent gangs were quickly and unceremoniously deported.

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