Seven Democratic senators and two independents introduced legislation which would allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to secure judicial warrants to arrest undocumented immigrants who are charged with violent crimes, according to The Hill. The move comes amid a contentious debate over the migrant crisis at the southern border.
Three of the bill’s sponsors are up for reelection. The sponsors include Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Conn., Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.
“Even though we know migrants are less likely to commit crimes than Americans, it is also true that there are times when ICE needs to take custody of a noncitizen accused or convicted of a serious crime,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said.
Under current law, ICE issues “detainer requests” to local governments to hold undocumented immigrants arrested by local police. However, not all jurisdictions reportedly comply with the request. So, by allowing ICE to request judicial warrants, the bill looks to guarantee the detention of undocumented immigrants by federal authorities.
Murphy maintains that the Democratic proposal is much different than the Republican alternative. Some Republican alternative plans have reportedly involved banning “sanctuary cities” and allow local police to detain any person suspected of being an undocumented immigrant.
Meanwhile, the bill is being dismissed by some critics. The National Republican Senatorial Committee accused the bill’s sponsors of simply using the legislation as political tactic.
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