Democrat and Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) pushed back on a bill that would arrest criminal illegal migrants in the United States.
On Wednesday, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) attempted to force a floor vote on Sarah's Law that would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal aliens who have been charged with violent crimes.
However, Democrats quickly opposed the law, sparking a debate over immigration policy and public safety in the nation.
Sarah’s law, named after Sarah Root who was killed by an illegal immigrant who was driving while under the influence, would force ICE to take illegal aliens into custody who are arrested and charged with causing the death or serious injury of another.
During her speech, Ernst cited the recent death of Laken Riley who was also killed by an illegal migrant. Her death has caused major concerns regarding the tens of millions of criminal aliens who have illegally entered the country under the Biden Administration.
“It would merely require ICE to detain, just to detain, otherwise deportable illegal immigrants charged with killing or seriously injuring another person," Ernst said.
However, Durbin claimed the bill would inadvertently cause ICE to arrest so-called illegal “victims” of trafficking or domestic abuse, despite them also bringing criminals.
The law would "deprive immigrants of the due process that everyone is afforded,” the Democrat said.
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Ernest said the deaths of Root and Riley are "doomed to be repeated” as the Biden Administration refuses to take action against its reckless open border policies.
During her passionate speech, Ernst also pointed to President Joe Biden’s “catch and release” policies which allow illegal migrants seeking entry based on asylum to be released into the U.S. while awaiting their processing.
“Instead of being detained while he was processed, he was released into our country — never to be heard from again," the Republican concluded.
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