Why 145 Democrats Rejected a GOP-Led Bill on Domestic Violence
Headlines splashed across various social media channels and conservative media outlets last Thursday:
“145 House Dems vote against bill to deport migrants who commit sexual assault,” declared Fox News.
“145 Dems vote against deporting illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes,” highlighted the San Joaquin Valley Sun in Central California.
“This morning, the Left defended rapists, murderers, and pedophiles,” announced U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on X, also commenting that Democrats “need to provide a lot of explanations” for their stance against the so-called Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act (H.R. 30).
Progressive members of Congress were quick to clarify their reasons for opposing the bill, which would require the deportation of undocumented immigrants or those with disputed legal status if they are convicted of, or confess to, crimes such as sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, child abuse, or breaching a restraining order.
Critics of the proposed legislation, like Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), pointed out that current laws already empower federal officials to deport any non-citizen with questionable status found guilty of “crimes involving moral turpitude,” which include rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence.
More so, Jayapal argued that the bill introduced by Mace “exploits” the Violence Against Women Act “to target—yes, you guessed it—victims of domestic violence.”
While Mace and other proponents lauded the bill as a means to shield women and girls from “the permanent, devastating impact of these atrocious crimes,” Jayapal noted that over 200 local and national advocacy organizations for survivors of domestic violence have implored lawmakers to reject the bill.
“There isn’t actually any loophole in the law that needs addressing,” stated Jayapal. “Rather, this bill perversely makes it easier to mislabel victims of domestic violence as offenders, potentially leading to their removal from the U.S. and stripping away existing legal protections for survivors.”
Jayapal further criticized the bill as a step towards broadening what she described as “the road to [President-elect] Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) also chimed in, explaining that under Mace’s bill, “no longer would there be exceptions for domestic violence victims who may have committed minor offenses as a result of defending themselves against their abuser.”
“This bill would only serve to harshen immigration laws against the victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape, which is totally counterproductive to what should be our aim,” he added.
The legislation, which was passed by a vote of 274-145 with the support of 61 Democrats, came just days after Republicans moved forward with the Laken Riley Act, using similar rhetoric to imply that opponents of that bill were enabling criminal behaviors by immigrants.
The Laken Riley Act mandates the deportation of any undocumented immigrant accused of theft—a measure sparked by the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley by an undocumented immigrant previously cited for shoplifting.
Thirty-seven Democrats backed the Laken Riley Act, which is poised for a Senate vote soon, potentially reaching President Trump’s desk for signature immediately after his inauguration next week.
“The Democratic endorsement of this cruel, inhumane narrative will significantly contribute to the rise of authoritarian violence,” remarked Alec Karakatsanis, founder of the Civil Rights Corps. “This scenario was fueled by mainstream media propaganda about immigrants, shoplifting, bail, and actual societal safety issues.”
Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.) described the bill passed on Thursday as “detrimental” and “counterproductive.”
“We need to focus on safeguarding protections, not perpetuating fear,” he asserted.
The U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), by texting “START” to 88788, or through chat at thehotline.org. It provides 24/7, free, and confidential support. DomesticShelters.org lists global and national resources.
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