Rep. Jahana Hayes is now expressing regret for voting for the Laken Riley Act, claiming that the Trump administration’s attitude towards immigrants is undermining bipartisan cooperation on border security.
She clarified that Democrats support deporting criminals, but oppose the Laken Riley act due to concerns about due process.
Hayes said during her CNN town hall appearance on Thursday, “I voted for that piece of legislation because of a very specific provision, and it was if it caused injury or death to a police officer, which was one small piece of it. There were other things about, to your point, Kaitlan, someone who…was charged but hadn’t been convicted.”
She continued, “As I’ve thought about it, over the last couple of months, I probably would have voted differently. It’s a vote that I regret. But coming into this Congress, I trusted that this administration, we would have some — that they wanted to have border security, they wanted to work with Democrats, that we could actually move forward. I’m not really sure of that, because I’ve seen the rhetoric that has come out and the attacks that have been targeted towards immigrants. So, I am very cautious and careful when I’m negotiating my votes moving forward.”
Hayes later added that “Democrats are not opposed to someone who has committed a crime, or is here illegally” being deported. But the opponents of the Laken Riley Act had due process concerns.
WATCH: