Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) stated at a CNN city corridor Thursday that she regrets her vote in favor of the Laken Riley Act.
“As I’ve thought about it over the past couple of months, I probably would have voted differently. It’s a vote that I regret,” Hayes stated on the discussion board.
The congresswoman stated she initially voted for the laws due to the availability stating “if it caused injury or death to a police officer.” She added that provision “was one small piece of it.”
Hayes went on to say that she trusted that the Trump administration needed to work with Democrats on Capitol Hill to safe the southern border. Nevertheless, the congresswoman stated she is “not really sure of that, because I’ve seen the rhetoric that has come out and the attacks that have been targeted toward immigrants. So I am very cautious and careful when I am negotiating my votes moving forward.”
Hayes represents a comparatively aggressive Home district that’s being focused by Home Republicans forward of the 2026 midterms. She made the feedback on the city corridor together with different lawmakers from aggressive districts, together with Rep. Derek Tran (R-Calif.), Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Ryan Mackenzie (R-Penn.).
Tran additionally defined his choice to vote for the Laken Riley Act.
“I did vote with my Republican colleagues on the Laken Riley Act because I draw a line when it comes to crime,” Tran stated.
“I believe that when you commit a crime, you should be deported,” he continued.
The Laken Riley Act requires the detention of migrants with out authorized standing, together with these allowed into the U.S. to hunt asylum, if they’ve been accused of theft, shoplifting, or housebreaking.
The laws was named for Georgia nursing pupil Laken Riley, who was killed by a Venezuelan migrant who was arrested for shoplifting forward of the assault after he was paroled into the nation.
The laws garnered bipartisan help, with 46 Democrats, together with Hayes and Tran, becoming a member of with Republicans within the Home to vote for it. Within the Senate, 12 Democrats joined with Republicans to go the laws.
