On Tuesday, January 7, the House passed the Laken Riley Act – a short bill that seeks to require the detention of any illegal alien who commits burglary or theft. With a 264 to 159 result, all Republican and 48 Democratic representatives voted to advance it to the Senate. This is not the first time the bill has been brought to the floor, but the dynamics, the mood of the country, and soon the administration are all very different.
Coming in at just nine pages, it is a simple proposition. However, it is also a test that Senate Democrats could easily fail – and the ramifications of that go far beyond a single bill; it has the potential to define the party for the duration of the 119th Congress and perhaps jeopardize any hope of coming back from the political graveyard.
A Trap in Two Acts
HR. 7511 has two elements: It says the Department of Homeland…
