U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has introduced five amendments to the Laken Riley Act (S.5). The current version of the bill would alter immigration and Constitutional law by enabling states to challenge federal immigration decisions and requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain undocumented individuals involved in theft or related crimes.
Senator Hirono's proposed amendments aim to address potential negative impacts of the legislation by prohibiting the detention of minors, preventing family separations involving children under 16, and stopping states from suing the federal government over immigration decisions.
"Our country desperately needs comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform," stated Senator Hirono. "Unfortunately, this bill would not improve our immigration system and would have all sorts of unintended consequences for immigrants, our immigration system, and our communities. My amendments would mitigate some of the most troubling impacts of this bill, but there is no amendment that would adequately fix this poorly thought out piece of legislation."
The amendments proposed by Senator Hirono include exemptions for individuals who received deferred action through DACA or arrived in the United States before age 16 from mandatory detention requirements. They also clarify that mandatory detention does not apply to criminal activities committed by undocumented individuals under 18 or when such detention results in separating children under 16 from their parents.
Additionally, one amendment seeks to remove provisions allowing states to challenge federal immigration decisions and requires ICE to provide annual public reports on the costs associated with implementing mandatory detention measures.
The full text of Senator Hirono’s submitted amendments is available for review.