John,

This week, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on an anti-immigrant bill that right-wingers hope is the first piece of legislation that they send to Donald Trump to sign when he’s sworn in on January 20th.

The bill, known as the “Laken Riley Act” requires the mandatory arrest and detention―without access to bail―of any undocumented person convicted of or merely arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting-related offenses. There is no statute of limitations and no mechanism for the individual to contest their immigration detention in order to resolve the underlying criminal charges against them (if charges are even brought).

It undermines constitutional protections and disrupts the balance of power between states and the federal government, giving anti-immigrant state attorneys general the ability to unleash chaos on the immigration system. This bill could motivate anti-immigrant jurisdictions to detain immigrants on completely baseless charges, which could result in these individuals lacking the ability to defend themselves or obtain bail.

While we are hopeful for amendments, such as protections for Dreamers, that may make this bill less damaging, the underlying legislation perpetuates systemic inequities and disproportionately harms Black and brown communities through racial profiling.

Click here to send a message to your U.S. Senators to oppose this dangerous anti-immigrant legislation.

Anti-immigrant Members of Congress have long sought to dehumanize and stigmatize immigrants by conflating immigration with decreased public safety. There is no correlation between citizenship or immigration status and crime. In fact, evidence shows that immigrants make our communities stronger by invigorating local economies and fortifying urban development and cultural growth.¹

This bill represents a dangerous and cynical use of legislative power, scapegoating immigrants while doing nothing to enhance public safety.  

Send a message to your U.S. Senators today, urging them to protect, not attack, our immigrant communities.

We urge Members of Congress not to succumb to a political ploy that manipulates a tragic act to demonize and criminalize an entire group of people.

Thank you for taking action today,

Dominique Espinoza
Policy and Strategic Partnerships Manager, CHN Action

¹ Immigrants’ Deportations, Local Crime and Police Effectiveness