AYOTTE’S WIN IN THE GOVERNORS RACE IN NOVEMBER. NOW – DOZENS OF DEMOCRATS ARE CROSSING THE AISLE TO TIGHTEN IMMIGRATION LAW. < NAT POP > THE FIRST VOTE FOR THE NEW CONGRESS – TAKING AIM AT IMMIGRATION. HOUSE MEMBERS – PASSING THE LAKEN RILEY ACT… NAMED AFTER A WOMAN FROM GEORGIA KILLED BY A VENEZUELAN MIGRANT LAST YEAR. HER DEATH – BECOMING A RALLYING CRY FOR REPUBLICANS AGAINST WHAT THEY SAY WAS A FAILURE BY DEMOCRATS TO SECURE THE SOUTHERN BORDER. THE BILL WOULD REQUIRE MIGRANTS CHARGED WITH THEFT OR BURGLARY TO BE DETAINED… INCLUDING THOSE IN THE U.S. LEGALLY SEEKING ASYLUM. 48 DEMOCRATS – VOTING WITH THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY TO PASS THE BILL… INCLUDING NEW HAMPSHIRE’S CHRIS PAPPAS AND MAGGIE GOODLANDER. IN A STATEMENT TO NEWS9 – PAPPAS – WRITING IN PART… EVERYONE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IF THEY COMMIT A CRIME. THIS BILL PROVIDES FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO ENSURE THAT IF YOU ARE IN THE UNITED STATES AND BREAK OUR LAWS, THERE WILL BE SWIFT, SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES. GOODLANDER – WRITING…. “I TOLD THE VOTERS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE THAT I WOULD WORK WITH ANYONE – REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ALIKE – TO ADDRESS OUR OUTDATED, OVERBURDENED, AND UNDERFUNDED IMMIGRATION SYSTEM. AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IN THE PEOPLE’S HOUSE, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I AM WORKING TO DO. POLITICAL ANALYST SCOTT SPRADLING SAYS THE DEMOCRATS ARE MOVING ON THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE ON THE HEELS OF DOMINANT ELECTION WINS FOR REPUBLICANS FUELED BY FRUSTRATIONS WITH THE BORDER. <21;55;40;14 “WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT AT THIS POINT ARE TWO DEMS WHO I THINK ARE LISTENING THIS BILL NOW HEADS TO THE REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED SENATE. AT LEAST ONE DEMOCRAT – PENNSYLVANIA’S JOHN FETTERMAN – HAS SIGNALS HIS SUPPORT FOR IT. NEW HAMPSHIRE’S MAGGIE HASSAN AND JEANNE SHAHEE
Pappas, Goodlander break with Democrats to support Laken Riley immigration bill
Updated: 11:21 PM EST Jan 7, 2025
Both of New Hampshire’s representatives in Congress broke with the Democrats to vote in favor of a new immigration bill. The Laken Riley Act would require all migrants charged with robbery or burglary to be detained, including those in the U.S. legally seeking asylum. The bill is named after a Georgia woman who was killed last year by a Venezuelan man in the country illegally. Rep. Chris Pappas and Rep. Maggie Goodlander joined 46 other Democrats to support the bill with all House Republicans. In a statement to News9, Goodlander wrote, “I told the voters of New Hampshire that I would work with anyone — Republicans and Democrats alike — to address our outdated, overburdened, and underfunded immigration system. As your representative in the People’s House, that is exactly what I am working to do.”Goodlander also said she is committed to “building a fair immigration system that includes a pathway to citizenship, treats immigrants with dignity, secures our borders, and stops the flow of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs across our borders.”The vote was Goodlander’s first since being elected to the seat in November. Pappas told News9 he was “horrified by the murder of Laken Riley.” In a statement, the Democrat wrote in part, “Everyone should be held accountable if they commit a crime. This bill provides federal law enforcement with the tools they need to ensure that if you are in the United States and break our laws, there will be swift, significant consequences.”>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<The bipartisan support for the bill comes after an election year in which Republicans swept the House, Senate and White House, campaigning hard on illegal immigration and painting the crisis at the southern border as a failure from democratic leadership. President-Elect Donald Trump, who first surged into politics in 2016 promising to build a wall on the U.S. southern border, consistently attacked President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on immigration issues ahead of the November election. Political analyst Scott Spraddling said after years of immigration being an Achilles heel for Democrats, some in the party are showing a willingness to move on the issue. “What we are looking at at this point are two Dems who I think are listening to constituents here in NH and watching this issue unfold through the country,” Spraddling said. “If we learned anything from the last election, it’s that illegal immigration and trying to do something about undocumented people in our country committing crimes is a top priority for people on both sides of the aisle.”The bill now heads to the republican controlled Senate. At least one Democrat, Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, has signaled he would support it. New Hampshire Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan told News9 they were reviewing the bill.
MANCHESTER, N.H. —Both of New Hampshire’s representatives in Congress broke with the Democrats to vote in favor of a new immigration bill.
The Laken Riley Act would require all migrants charged with robbery or burglary to be detained, including those in the U.S. legally seeking asylum. The bill is named after a Georgia woman who was killed last year by a Venezuelan man in the country illegally.
Rep. Chris Pappas and Rep. Maggie Goodlander joined 46 other Democrats to support the bill with all House Republicans.
In a statement to News9, Goodlander wrote, “I told the voters of New Hampshire that I would work with anyone — Republicans and Democrats alike — to address our outdated, overburdened, and underfunded immigration system. As your representative in the People’s House, that is exactly what I am working to do.”
Goodlander also said she is committed to “building a fair immigration system that includes a pathway to citizenship, treats immigrants with dignity, secures our borders, and stops the flow of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs across our borders.”
The vote was Goodlander’s first since being elected to the seat in November.
Pappas told News9 he was “horrified by the murder of Laken Riley.” In a statement, the Democrat wrote in part, “Everyone should be held accountable if they commit a crime. This bill provides federal law enforcement with the tools they need to ensure that if you are in the United States and break our laws, there will be swift, significant consequences.”
>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<
The bipartisan support for the bill comes after an election year in which Republicans swept the House, Senate and White House, campaigning hard on illegal immigration and painting the crisis at the southern border as a failure from democratic leadership.
President-Elect Donald Trump, who first surged into politics in 2016 promising to build a wall on the U.S. southern border, consistently attacked President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on immigration issues ahead of the November election.
Political analyst Scott Spraddling said after years of immigration being an Achilles heel for Democrats, some in the party are showing a willingness to move on the issue.
“What we are looking at at this point are two Dems who I think are listening to constituents here in NH and watching this issue unfold through the country,” Spraddling said. “If we learned anything from the last election, it’s that illegal immigration and trying to do something about undocumented people in our country committing crimes is a top priority for people on both sides of the aisle.”
The bill now heads to the republican controlled Senate. At least one Democrat, Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, has signaled he would support it.
New Hampshire Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan told News9 they were reviewing the bill.
