Rep. Ro Khanna Discusses Laken-Riley Act on CNN

During an appearance on CNN’s “The Arena” on Friday, Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) stated that Republicans have leveraged the Laken-Riley Act to strip immigrants of their due process rights.

Host Casey Hunt noted, “The Laken Riley Act isn’t about mass deportation, but it specifically impacts immigrants with criminal records. Can you recognize that distinction?”

Khanna responded, “I don’t believe that individuals who commit violent crimes should face deportation, but they ought to go through due process and a proper trial.” He explained how the Laken-Riley Act allowed officials to deport individuals without such protections, targeting Latinos and others who appeared to be civilians. This created a system where non-violent individuals could be swept up in deportations, giving Donald Trump the opportunity to infringe on immigrants’ rights after campaigning on the issue.

He continued, “This hits close to home for me. My parents came from India, and I was born in Philadelphia in 1976. I’ve witnessed countless immigrants contribute greatly to our society.”

Hunt reaffirmed, “But there’s a distinction when it comes to violent offenders; the Laken Riley Act pertains to them.”

Khanna replied, “That’s true, yet it opens the door for anyone to be labeled a violent criminal and deported without due process. If due process is guaranteed, then yes, let’s deport actual violent criminals. I support that. However, without due process, ICE can simply declare someone a violent criminal and remove them with no means of defense. The absence of a legal system leads to an environment where egregious actions can occur without accountability. So if voters who supported you criticize your choices and say they now intend to advocate for immigrants, they really ought to think about this issue.”