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Ocasio-Cortez At Center Of Scandal As New Congress Gets Underway

By CONGRESS

The passage of the Laken Riley Act in the U.S. House on Tuesday has sparked significant fallout, even among members of the “Squad,” with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) facing sharp criticism online. Opponents are condemning her for opposing what supporters describe as commonsense measures to ensure the deportation of criminal illegal immigrants.

The Bronx Democrat was among 159 lawmakers who voted against the Laken Riley Act, named after a University of Georgia student who was killed in 2023, strangled by an illegal immigrant who attempted to rape her during a morning run. If enacted, the legislation would expand deportation measures to include illegal immigrants charged with lower-level or nonviolent crimes, such as theft or drug sales. Critics argue these provisions could exacerbate racial tensions between immigrant communities and law enforcement.

“People deserve to have their day in court and are innocent until proven guilty. That seems to be something that the majority has forgotten or doesn’t seem to care about,” said fellow “Squad” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). Despite the seemingly endless number of headlines about violent and deadly illegal immigrants in New York, AOC chose to flout the wishes of several constituents who ripped her for the vote.

Despite a steady stream of headlines about violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants in New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez chose to defy the wishes of several constituents who criticized her decision to vote against the legislation. On X, user Jade Blade referred to AOC as a “disgusting human” for opposing the bill, while a local voter demanded she appear on one of her signature live feeds to explain herself.

“Can you explain to your constituents why you voted against the Laken Riley act? Think we would all like to better understand your position as crime is clearly an issue in all boroughs including Queens. FWIW I am a registered democrat in NYC. Thanks!” one user replied to one of her posts. The popular conservative account End Wokeness published a list of 159 Democrats who opposed the bill. This list features many prominent progressives, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Squad members Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN).

Under current law, two petty nonviolent offenses are sufficient to justify the apprehension and deportation of illegal immigrants. The Laken Riley Act seeks to expand this by including a single nonviolent offense, such as burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. However, in practice, holding illegal immigrants until federal authorities arrive has proven challenging in deeply blue cities and states. Sanctuary policies in municipalities like Chicago, New York, and Boston prohibit local police from detaining individuals solely based on immigration status, allowing suspects to post bail and potentially evade federal authorities. Additionally, many of these jurisdictions do not honor detainer requests submitted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after being alerted to the arrest of a suspected illegal immigrant.

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