Staff Reports
As the Biden administration enters its final acts, they’re busy in a reckless game of political furniture demolition, particularly aiming their wrecking ball at the Laken Riley Act. Ostensibly, the Department of Homeland Security is crying poor over the financial burdens this legislation would impose. Their complaint? Rounding up criminal aliens, housing them, and feeding them before deportation is apparently a budget-buster.
An internal memo from March, surfacing via Politico, makes the DHS’s position clear. They’re most concerned about a lack of available beds, potentially leading to “tens of thousands” of illegal aliens needing to be released back into the wild. Yes, among those released could be individuals who pose a threat to public safety. So, in classic government style, they prefer to keep their coffers full while letting dangerous individuals roam free instead.
NEW: Sources at DHS are telling me the cost of Laken Riley Act would be more like $20-30 billion, citing a $7 billion figure just for beds BEFORE the mandate's costs on local law enforcement. https://t.co/ZfMrNTvgJ9
— Pablo Manríquez (@PabloReports) January 12, 2025
And if that wasn’t enough to put a smile on the faces of the law-abiding citizens, DHS also highlighted a shortage of Enforcement and Removal Officers (EROs). The memo reveals a curious paradox; while the workload for these officers has skyrocketed, the number of officers has remained stubbornly stagnant. It sounds like a classic case of the Biden administration’s “let’s just wing it” approach to immigration. Without more funding, the memo confidently prophesizes a significant reduction in the agency’s ability to enforce laws. So much for law and order.
In a true display of bureaucratic brilliance, the memo laments the convoluted nature of the bill which requires officials to detain illegal aliens quickly. Apparently, the agency believes that anyone convicted of a property crime should not only expect a warm welcome, but may even escape arrest due to a supposed lack of cooperation from local officials. The bottom line here? DHS meanders through a situation of its own making and now claims it will be too expensive to fix. What’s more ironic is that their dire warnings behind the substantial costs seem to stem from years of neglect, all while they dragged their feet and failed to uphold their basic responsibilities.
Although the Laken Riley Act gained steam in the House with some bipartisan support—48 brave Democrats joining the Republicans—the greater irony is the need for this legislation in the first place. The failures of DHS under the inadequate leadership of Mayorkas led to the tragic stories of victims like Laken Riley. The chaos in cities like Aurora, Colorado, is a direct result of an administration that prioritizes political correctness over public safety. And now, as the fallout unfolds, it’s others who must bear the financial brunt of their negligence. The irony is rich and the implications are an indictment of an administration seemingly hell-bent on sabotaging any common-sense approach to immigration.
