U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the Senate Majority Whip, criticized a new set of demands from Senate Democrats regarding immigration policy. According to Barrasso, these 23 demands would make it more difficult to remove undocumented immigrants and would effectively turn the United States into a “sanctuary country.”
Barrasso stated, “Democrats want to abolish ICE. They want to abolish borders. And they want to turn America into a sanctuary country. If Democrats had their way, removing illegal immigrants from our communities would become nearly impossible.”
In remarks delivered in Washington, D.C., Barrasso said that the Minority Leader’s list of demands has grown over time and now stands at 23 items. He argued that these proposals prioritize the safety of undocumented immigrants with criminal records over public safety.
“This is about funding the Department of Homeland Security for our nation – keeping our nation safe,” Barrasso said. He claimed that some Democratic proposals could lead to law enforcement agencies such as Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement working without pay or being defunded, making the country more vulnerable.
Barrasso focused on one particular demand related to changing procedures for immigration enforcement warrants. He asserted that requiring judicial warrants for every immigration arrest would halt enforcement efforts: “If Immigration and Customs Enforcement is forced to use judicial warrants for each and every immigration arrest, America will become a sanctuary country.”
He further explained that federal officials have used administrative warrants for decades and that courts have upheld their constitutionality since 1960.
The senator cited recent crimes involving undocumented immigrants as evidence of what he described as dangerous consequences of current policies. In Georgia, he referenced the case of Laken Riley, who was killed by an individual who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was later released after an arrest in New York City due to its sanctuary city status.
Barrasso also mentioned a fatal car crash in North Carolina involving two teenagers killed by an undocumented immigrant with prior charges dismissed by sanctuary cities. He criticized North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper for vetoing bills aimed at removing undocumented individuals with criminal records from local communities.
“These tragedies remind us that we all pay the price when liberal politicians favor illegal immigrant criminals over the safety of American citizens,” Barrasso said.
He concluded by referencing Republican-backed legislation: “This is exactly why Republicans passed the Laken Riley Act. Because of that law, the Department of Homeland Security has detained an additional 20,000 illegal immigrants who otherwise would have been released back into our communities.”
“Senate Republicans will not accept changes that make our communities less safe,” Barrasso added.
