Your first indication that U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., is planning to run for re-election in 2026: he voted for the Laken Riley Act, the pretend get-tough-on-immigration bill that will allow the Trump administration to go after DACAs and people under Temporary Protected Status protections.
“The loss of Laken Riley was a heartbreaking reminder of the need to strike a balance between keeping our communities safe and ensuring that our immigration system is both humane and effective,” said Warner, trying to sound as Republican as he possibly can, in a statement sent out by his office after he had joined the 64-35 Senate majority that passed the bill on Monday.
ICYMI
Warner was one of 12 Senate Democrats voting to pass the bill, which will allow the feds to detain and deport immigrants without legal status for arrests for even low-level misdemeanors, even if no charges are ultimately waged against them.
You can see how this would and ultimately will be abused – local cops are going to be empowered to participate in mass immigrant sweeps using this legislation as its authorization that won’t have to pass judicial scrutiny.
“These are the people who want you to believe, want us to believe, that they are keeping violent criminals off the streets,” said New York City Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The House voted 263-156 on Wednesday to pass the Senate version of the bill, with 46 Democrats joining Republicans in the majority.
The bill now goes to Donald Trump, who can’t wait to use his Sharpie to get it into law.
ICYMI
- Andrew Moss: How mass deportation harms all working people
- Tim Kaine on Trump effort to end birthright citizenship: ‘No legal basis’
- Trump, far right overplaying hand trying to make New Year’s attacks about immigration
- Gov. Glenn Youngkin plays racist immigration politics with state budget
The frustrating thing here with Mark Warner voting yes is, he even acknowledged, in the statement from his office, that the bill has flaws.
“While I ultimately voted to support this legislation, I also acknowledge it is imperfect – and could have been improved by amendments I supported to streamline its enforcement mechanisms and target the most dangerous criminals,” Warner said. “As we work to improve our immigration system, I remain committed to finding common ground that holds criminals accountable while protecting the ideals that define us as a nation – a country of fairness, compassion, and justice.
“America – and Virginia – have been made stronger by many immigrants, and I will continue to hold the administration answerable for executing all the laws faithfully and fairly, in accordance with our values and the Constitution,” Warner said.
Advice here to Warner: talking out of both sides of your mouth doesn’t fool anybody.
In other words, Republican voters are still going to assume you’re a George Soros-funded communist and vote for whoever – literally whoever, convicted felon or otherwise – the MAGAs put up against you.
And on something like this, the Democrats who have been sending you back to Washington every few years are going to be less enthused to do so again.
But anyway, the radical centrist is gonna radical centrist.
For another way to do this, we wrap up with a statement from Jennifer McClellan, a Democrat who represents Virginia’s Fourth District in the U.S. House.
“Last Congress, congressional leadership negotiated a strong bipartisan immigration reform bill to secure the southern border. We were fully prepared to advance the legislation, but Donald Trump urged his conference to kill the bill for political reasons. Now, congressional Republicans seek to exploit Laken Riley’s tragic death as a means to pass this overreaching anti-immigrant legislation.
“Under current law, any undocumented immigrant arrested or convicted of a felony can be detained without bail and deported. This bill goes even farther to mandate detention and deportation of any undocumented immigrant merely charged with or arrested for certain crimes, even if charges are dropped or they are found not guilty. This bill clearly oversteps and undermines due process, paving the way for immigrants to be deported without regard to innocence or guilt.
“I remain ready and willing to develop a comprehensive, bipartisan immigration and border security bill, but I will not support unconstitutional overreaching that undermines long-held American values of due process that assumes people innocent until they are proven guilty in a court of law.”
Wild idea here: maybe Jennifer McClellan should run for Warner’s Senate seat in the 2026 cycle.