Posted on 01/08/2025 8:34:17 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Sen. John Fetterman is the lone Senate Democrat cosponsoring a Republican-led bill that would require federal authorities to detain undocumented immigrants arrested for theft-related crimes.
The bill, passed with bipartisan support in the House on Tuesday, is slated to come up for a Senate vote on Friday. In addition to requiring federal detention of undocumented immigrants who commit theft, it would allow states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for harm caused to their citizens because of illegal immigration, greatly expanding the authority of state attorneys general.
Lawmakers named the legislation after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was murdered while jogging at the University of Georgia. Her convicted killer, Jose Ibarra, had entered the U.S. illegally and had previously been released after an arrest for stealing merchandise from a Walmart store. He was sentenced to life without parole in November.
“Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people,” Fetterman said in a joint news release sent by the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Katie Britt (R., Ala.). “No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence,” the Pennsylvania Democrat continued. “Immigration is what makes our country great. I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system.”
A ‘seismic shift’
Fetterman’s support, first reported by Punchbowl News, continues an openness he has displayed for working with Republicans and on Republican-led issues. The bill is backed by every Republican in the Senate. But Fetterman’s backing also reflects how Democrats are reexamining their stances on immigration, which played a key role in the presidential campaign in Pennsylvania and nationally.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
The good news is, While Fetterman is the only listed Democratic cosponsor, Sens. Gary Peters (D., Mich.) and Jon Ossoff (D., Ga.) indicated they would support the bill in interviews on the Hill on Tuesday.
When Fetterman first appeared on the scene I assumed that he was a typical dimocRAT douche nozzle. His initial media interactions didn’t change that impression but I’ve since, reluctantly, realized that perhaps I was wrong. That’s a positive twist.
Fetterman’s mind has been set right?
Let’s not get too far over our skis on Festerman. The guy is nuts, always has been, always will be. It just so happens that his insanity has led him to randomly come down on the right side of history every now and again.
the Democrats will probably never understand this[fortunately], but John Fetterman could be THEIR Donald Trump if they would just let him: THE guy who could lead them out of the wilderness of Wokeism, DEIism, nutjobism, and all their other insane isms and back into the mainstream ...
And that's why he'll occasionally get something right. The dedicated, ideologically motivated leftists in full control of their faculties will always choose evil. They know what they're doing.
I’ll take a nut like Fetterman over the rest of the democrats any day. He’s not doing this just to get votes, he’s doing it because he knows it’s the right thing. I commend him for that.
John Fetterman is like the democrats of old. Slightly left of center but patriots much like JFK. Today JFK would be defined by the left as radical right.The philosophy of JFK and Fetterman has no place in the Democrat party of today.
Haha the 2 senators in states Trump won up for re-election in 2026 are on board… SHOCKING. (Eye roll)
You speak truth friend.
I think Fetterman understands that Pennsylvania is not as blue as it used to be, and they’re done putting up with idiotic BS of the left. So he is correctly moving to the center, just like the PA electorate
same, but I have come to realize he is more like an old school pro choice Republican, than a Democrat
shush it with the good analysis....you know that free republic is monitored by the more Sain democrats. last vthing we need is for Feterman actually be listened to by his own political party. What we want is more Maxine waters or Corey bush. in the area of making Stategic moves on positions held by the party.....spoeaking less Toung and cheek about fetterman . I wonder how long till the democrat party try’s to primary him.
So how long before the dems determine that he MUST be brain damaged, and as such is unfit to serve?
Fetterman should just switch parties. He would be more conservative than half the Republican senators out there.
OH NO AN HONEST DEMOCRAT !!!
i agree with all you wrote, but i continue to have confidence in the likelihood that the democrats have lurched too far to the hard left to have retained enough common sense or knowledge of the necessity for fundamental reform ... it’s far easier for them to just continue down the path that they’ve made for themselves until that path leads to the cliff of irrevocable destruction ... at any rate, that’s my hope ... a lot will depend upon the success of Trump 47 and the success of his successors ...
Here are the 9 Senators who voted against the Laken Riley Act.
• Senator Bernie Sanders (VT)
• Senator Cory Booker (NJ)
• Senator Andy Kim (NJ)
• Senator Mazie Hirono (HI)
• Senator Brian Schatz (HI)
• Senator Tina Smith (MN)
• Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA)
• Senator Ed Markey (MA)
• Senator Jeff Merkley (OR)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.