Laken Riley Act decried for impact on immigrant communities, possible deportations by Rashida Tlaib

In a sign of how Republicans are prioritizing cracking down on illegal immigration, both houses of Congress passed the Laken Riley Act, a bill targeting crime committed by immigrants. In the house, Rashida Tlaib (D-MI 12th District), voted against the Laken Riley Act after giving a speech on what she predicted would be the consequence's of the bill's passage. The Laken Riley Act will likely be the first bill President Donald Trump signs into law in his second term in office, and follows multiple executive orders he signed related to immigration and the border following his inauguration. THE LAKEN RILEY ACT EXPLAINED The bill would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain people who are in the United States without legal status who are arrested or charged with certain crimes including burglary, theft, larceny and shoplifting, or who have been accused of assault on a law enforcement officer. Tlaib noted the bill could result in immigrants being deported and therefore, families being separated.