BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – An immigration bill that would detain noncitizens for low-level criminal charges continues to work its way through Congress.
The Laken Riley Act, which is poised to pass the GOP-controlled Senate, is named after a Georgia college student who was murdered last year by an undocumented immigrant. If passed, the Department of Homeland Security would be tasked with arresting anyone in the country unlawfully as well as giving states the power to sue the federal government over immigration policy.
Leslie Holman, a Burlington-based immigration lawyer, says that if it passes, noncitizens could lose their right to due process. “In the past, there would be a bond hearing. There is no provision for that now. I mean, we know that the court systems take a long time, so we could see the separation of children from families for years without any allegation, without any proof until that case is adjudicated,” she said.
The bill is advancing in the Senate with some support from Democrats.