The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
January 8, 2025

Congress Approves Bill to Deport Immigrants Charged with Minor Crimes
---------------------------------------------------------------------

The House of Representatives has approved the first bill of the 119th
Congress, legislation that would require federal immigration authorities
to detain undocumented immigrants arrested for certain nonviolent
crimes. Forty-eight Democrats sided with Republicans Tuesday voting in
favor of the Laken Riley Act, named after a 22-year-old nursing student
who was killed by a Venezuelan immigrant last year. Rights groups have
condemned the legislation. The Haitian Bridge Alliance called it a
"devastating blow to human rights and the core values of compassion and
asylum," adding, "This cruel legislation targets vulnerable migrants and
asylum seekers, denying them safety and dignity."


.