NewsNation host Chris Cuomo grilled Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker on Tuesday about his vote against the Laken Riley Act. The bill would require federal immigration authorities to detain illegal migrants who commit theft-related crimes.
The Senate passed the bill shortly after President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. Only 12 Democratic senators supported it. Cuomo expressed disbelief over the opposition, but Booker explained his reasoning.
“I got to tell you, that Laken Riley bill — I don’t understand anybody who would vote against that,” Cuomo said. He pressed Booker, emphasizing the bill targeted serious crimes. “If they’re here and commit a serious crime against women or children, who would vote against a bill to superpower authorities to get them out of here?”
Booker countered that he would never oppose a bill protecting against serious crimes. However, he argued the legislation wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed.
“This is what the bill was advertised as, but Chris, please,” Booker said. “It creates mandatory detention for anyone accused of any crime, even shoplifting. Anybody of any age, even if charges are cleared.” He warned the policy would drain law enforcement resources.
He elaborated further, claiming the bill had far-reaching consequences. “It gives every attorney general the ability to sue the federal government,” he said. “One attorney general could upend all of our immigration law and stop people coming in for research. Stop engineers coming in. Read the fine print.”
Cuomo acknowledged he understood those concerns. The bill would let states sue the Department of Homeland Security for damages caused by illegal immigration.
The House passed its version of the legislation in a 264-159 vote. All Republicans and 48 Democrats supported it. If the House approves the Senate’s changes, the bill heads to Trump’s desk.
The bill was named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student. She was killed by Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan illegal immigrant convicted of her murder in November.