Dick Durbin: “reserving the right to object, we all agree that noncitizens who are convicted of violent crime should be detained and…”

“reserving the right to object, we all agree that noncitizens who are convicted of violent crime should be detained and removed from the United States--period. Sadly, the Laken Riley Act does nothing to address violent crime. Under current law--current existing law--noncitizens who enter the country illegally, violate the terms of their status, or have their visas revoked can be detained now, under the law, by officials of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE. Current law also requires--requires--the detention of individuals with serious criminal convictions--those who have committed murder, rape, or any crime of violence or theft offense--with a term of imprisonment of at least 1 year. The law also gives ICE discretion beyond that to detain a noncitizen in any case in which a noncitizen has been charged with a crime. To make this decision, ICE assesses the individual's circumstances in the case, ensuring the Agency's limited resources are used effectively to protect national security and public safety. The reality is that Congress has never appropriated nearly enough money for ICE to detain every--every--undocumented immigrant who is charged with a crime.…”