A bill requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to take into custody illegal aliens charged or convicted of crimes is getting pushback from the agency.
Sources at the DHS, under Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, are reportedly citing the exorbitant cost of enforcing the Laken Riley Act under consideration, according to reporter Pablo Manriquez in a post on X.
“Sources at DHS are telling me the cost of Laken Riley Act would be more like $20-30 billion, citing a $7 billion figure just for beds BEFORE the mandate’s costs on local law enforcement,” he wrote, responding to an article shared a reporter with Axios.
NEW: Sources at DHS are telling me the cost of Laken Riley Act would be more like $20-30 billion, citing a $7 billion figure just for beds BEFORE the mandate’s costs on local law enforcement. https://t.co/ZfMrNTvgJ9
— Pablo Manríquez (@PabloReports) January 12, 2025
Despite the bipartisan support in Congress for the legislation that will require the detention of illegal migrants accused of certain nonviolent crimes, ICE documented the potential costs the bill would produce in a memo to Congress last month.
“ICE warned that without emergency funding, they could be forced to release tens of thousands of immigrants — including potentially some deemed to be public safety threats,” Axios reported. “The agency identified more than 60,000 undocumented immigrants who would meet the criteria requiring detainment in the bill.”
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives passed the Laken Riley Act which is named after the 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an illegal migrant nearly one year ago in Georgia. While all House Republicans were joined by 48 Democrats to vote in favor of the bill, 159 Democrats opposed it.
Getting it done for the American People https://t.co/MZ6VKjF6yC
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) January 7, 2025
“ICE currently only has funding for 42,000 detention beds. They already have 39,000 immigrants in custody, as of December, with 62% of them required to be detained by law,” Axios reported, adding that “of the nearly 67,000 undocumented immigrants who would meet the Laken Riley Act criteria for detention — more than 59,000 have final orders of removal.”
In addition, ICE noted that it would need more than $3.2 billion in extra funding to enforce the requirements of the legislation.
Last week, Sen. John Fetterman expressed his support of the measure, despite the protestations of the Mayorkas-led agency.
“ICE reported tens of thousands of migrants with criminal records — homicide or sexual assault,” the Pennsylvania Democrat wrote on X, noting that 425,000 migrants “have criminal records in total and should be deported.”
ICE reported tens of thousands of migrants with criminal records — homicide or sexual assault.
425,000 have criminal records in total and should be deported.
I support a secure border.
I support a legal path for Dreamers.
I support the Laken Riley Act. https://t.co/elEuIByd6s
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) January 7, 2025
“I support a secure border. I support a legal path for Dreamers. I support the Laken Riley Act,” Fetterman wrote.
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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