WASHINGTON – Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement after voting against final passage of the Laken Riley Act:
“The murder of Laken Riley was an unspeakable tragedy resulting from our broken immigration system. Unfortunately, the bill named in her memory puts Americans in greater danger. The bill stops trained, experienced law enforcement officers from making decisions that will keep the most dangerous offenders off our streets, forcing their attention away from assaulters and murderers and onto shoplifters. Tens of thousands of migrants who pose serious public safety threats may be released. That outcome is not acceptable to me, and I voted against this dangerous bill. Last week, I tried to address some of these public safety concerns through several commonsense amendments, only to find the new Senate majority wasn’t interested in improving it.
“Solving the problems at the Southern border and improving public safety begins with a more thoughtful approach to alleviate the pressure on overworked Border Patrol agents and immigration judges and addressing the many problems with our immigration system. I look forward to working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle and the Trump administration to find lasting solutions to our migration problems this year.”