(Headline USA) Vulnerable Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., became the first Democrat to co-sponsor the Laken Riley Act, a bill that would require illegal immigrants charged with theft or burglary to be detained by immigration authorities and deported.
Tester, who faces a tough reelection bid in November against Navy SEAL veteran Tim Sheehy, has become vocally critical of the Biden administration in recent weeks for its handling of the border crisis, calling President Joe Biden’s refusal to crack down on illegal immigration “unacceptable.”
The Democrat opposed an earlier version of the Laken Riley Act that had been included in a government spending bill as an amendment, but he claimed this week that “keeping Montana safe” is now “my top priority,” according to NBC Montana.
“After hearing from law enforcement officers across Montana, I’m backing the Laken Riley Act to make sure that individuals who enter our country and commit a crime are held accountable so that no Montana family has to worry about the safety of their loved ones,” he added.
The Laken Riley Act passed the House in March with the support of all House Republicans and 37 Democrats, the New York Post reported.
Along with requiring illegals convicted of violent crimes to be detained and deported, the legislation also would require Biden to reinstate “Remain in Mexico,” a Trump-era policy that required illegal immigrants seeking asylum to wait for the court hearings in Mexico.
The bill is named after a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was brutally murdered in February by Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant who had several run-ins with law enforcement before the murder but was not detained.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee questioned Tester’s sudden “flip-flop” on the Laken Riley Act.
“Jon Tester voted against the Laken Riley Act,” the NRSC tweeted. “His support for open borders is hurting his reelection campaign, so now he’s flip-flopping. Voters can’t trust two-faced Tester.”
Jon Tester voted against the Laken Riley Act.
His support for open borders is hurting his reelection campaign, so now he’s flip-flopping.
Voters can’t trust two-faced Tester. https://t.co/4wHyUFIEnm pic.twitter.com/9kVvUdCeNB
— Senate Republicans (@NRSC) May 9, 2024
