Casten Statement on Voting Against the Laken Riley Act
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) released the following statement after voting against H.R. 29, the Laken Riley Act:
“First and foremost, I’m heartbroken by the tragic murder of Laken Riley. Second, I firmly believe in, support, and have long advocated for reasonable reforms to our immigration system. Third, it is already law that undocumented immigrants who are convicted of a felony are subject to deportation. That is a good law and one that should be enforced.
“The Laken Riley Act, however, makes it a deportable offense to simply be accused of a crime, stripping due process and the idea of someone being innocent until proven guilty from our justice system. It also dangerously allows state attorneys general to overturn decisions made by immigration courts or ICE officers and could lead to blocking legal immigration.
“Under the Laken Riley Act, an undocumented child, who was brought to the United States by their parents, would risk separation from their parents and ICE detention for being accused of stealing a candy bar. A DACA recipient who has done nothing wrong but was misidentified in a police lineup can be sent back to a country they have no active connection to.
“We need to address our immigration system. We need to do everything we can to prevent violent crime. But the Laken Riley Act does neither, and so I voted against it.”
# # #