Vote Explainer - H.R. 29 - Laken Riley Act

Transparency is vital to democracy. Below please find explainers for key votes I took in the 119th Congress.

Vote Explainer: H.R. 29 - Laken Riley Act 

On January 7th, the House voted on the Laken Riley Act. 

The murder of Laken Riley was an avoidable tragedy. It is clear that the perpetrator fell through holes in our system and there are no excuses for that. 

While we absolutely must keep our communities safe from violent offenders, this bill is not a real solution. After close consideration, I have concluded that this bill is just another Republican attempt to warp tragedy into a political gambit. 

The American system of justice says that we are all innocent until proven guilty. The problem with this bill is that it undermines due process by watering down the requirement to actually convict somebody before they are eligible for deportation for committing a crime. This means that an undocumented immigrant who is actually innocent but charged with a crime like shoplifting could be arrested and deported.

I do not believe that America will be stronger or safer if we water down legal protections simply for the sake of showing our understandable frustration with our dysfunctional immigration system. Our immigration laws badly need sensible reform. I remain committed to working with Republicans to promote common-sense ideas that the vast majority of Americans can agree on.