Democratic Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock on Tuesday called the Republican-led Laken Riley Act “smoke and mirrors” and accused lawmakers of not taking any substantive steps to address the crisis at the southern border. .
The House-passed bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants if they are charged with theft-related crimes.
Warnock appeared on MSNBC’s “The Readout” with host Joy Reid on Tuesday and was asked about what the law would do to address crime.
Republican lawmakers introduce the Laken-Riley Act
Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock said the bill, named after Laken Riley, was “smoke and mirrors” when asked how it would address crime. (AP)
“First of all, let me just say that my heart goes out to this young woman’s family. Laken Riley did not deserve what happened to her,” he said. “To answer your question succinctly, this is smoke and mirrors from unscrupulous people.”
“We had a bipartisan bill in front of us. It had a lot of provisions, some of which some people on my side didn’t like,” he added. “But the only way to achieve comprehensive immigration reform, the only way to address the current border crisis with a divided government, is to do it on a bipartisan basis.”
Riley, 22, a nursing student, was murdered on the University of Georgia campus in February.Jose Antonio Ibarra illegal alien The Venezuelan-born man charged with the murder was arrested in New York before the killing, but was not detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Republicans were trying to pressure the Biden administration to support a bill introduced by Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia. Twenty-six attorneys general from around the country wrote a letter to Senate leadership on Wednesday urging passage of the Laken-Reilly Act.
The murder of Laken Riley has shocked the nation as the border crisis continues. (Ilya Neuverage/AFP via Getty Images)
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Warnock previously accused Republicans of trying to score “cheap political” points in connection with Riley’s death after his name was inappropriately cited by President Biden in last week’s State of the Union address. He criticized that there were.
“Instead of instigating the tragic death of this young woman, they should get serious,” Warnock told Reid. “And let’s pass bipartisan legislation to address the crisis at our border.”
