A day after calling the border crisis “unacceptable,” Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) on Thursday became the first Senate Democrat to support the Laken Riley Act.
The Montana Democratic Party’s outspokenness on immigration comes as it faces a difficult re-election battle in a red state where its past three elections were narrowly won.
“Keeping Montanans safe is my top priority. That’s why I reiterate my call on the Biden administration and Congress to do more to protect our southern border and to the brave men and women of law enforcement. We’ve worked to make sure we have what we need to protect criminals from “Keep Off Our Streets” Tester stated in a statement.
“After hearing from law enforcement officials across Montana, I want to ensure that individuals who enter our country and commit crimes are held accountable so that no Montana family has to worry about the safety of their loved ones.” “I support the Laken Riley Act, which guarantees that
The Laken Riley Act, passed by the House in March with the support of all House Republicans and 37 Democrats, would require immigrants charged with theft or robbery to be held in federal immigration custody. The content is as follows.
It would also require President Biden to reinstate so-called “remain in Mexico” policies that force asylum-seekers to wait for immigration hearings south of the border, and state attorneys general who require migrants to return to their home country if they take action. He said he would approve filing charges against the security chief. parole, etc. – causing damage to the state or people.
The bill is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who authorities say was an undocumented immigrant who had several run-ins with law enforcement in the weeks leading up to Riley’s case. It was announced that he was brutally murdered by Jose Antonio Ibarra on February 22nd. Killing.
Several Republican senators are named as co-sponsors of the bill, but Tester, 67, is the only Democrat.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee noted that Tester earlier this year voted against the Laken-Reilly Act, which was proposed by Republicans as an amendment to the bill to prevent a government shutdown, and said that in an election year, “I turned it upside down,” he accused Tester.
“Jon Tester voted against the Laken-Reilly Act and is now reversing it because his support for open borders is hurting his re-election campaign,” the NRSC wrote of X.
“Voters cannot trust two-faced testers,” the group said.
Tester’s support for the bill followed a testy exchange with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during Wednesday’s Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee hearing.
“Look, I’ve repeatedly called on Secretary Mayorkas, President Biden, and Congress to step up and fix what’s happening at our southern border,” the Montana Democrat said.
“It’s totally unsustainable and unacceptable,” he said, before asking Austin about how much the Pentagon’s efforts to help the Department of Homeland Security secure the southern border were eating into the Pentagon’s budget. added.
“How will the Pentagon cover these costs?” Tester asked the Secretary of Defense, who responded that the costs associated with keeping troops on the border come out of the Pentagon’s operating budget. Ta.
“Operationally, who will be shortchanged?” the tester asked.
Austin didn’t give a specific answer, but acknowledged, “Of course there are things we’re not doing because of that support.”
Tester explained to Austin that he believes the government “needs to do more to protect its borders and not rely on the military to do so.”
Austin replied, “I agree.”
Tester will likely face Republican Tim Sheehy in the Montana Senate race in November.
Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and businessman, has the backing of former President Donald Trump, who has made border security and immigration among his top priorities.
“Tester’s reversal proves he only cares about his next term in office,” Sheehy wrote to X in response to the senator’s support for the Laken Riley Act. “The most corrupt, two-faced career politician in this country!”
March poll conducted by JL Partners Tester showed a three-point lead over Sheehy.
Tester is the only Democrat in Montana’s congressional delegation. The state also has a Republican governor and Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature.
In 2006, Mr. Tester was elected to the Senate by a margin of 0.9 percentage points. He did well in 2012, winning re-election by 3.7 percentage points, but took a slight step back in 2018, winning by just 3.5 percentage points.
Democrats currently hold a 51-49 lead over Republicans in the Senate.
