Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expressed disappointment that 61 Democrats voted to support legislation authored by House Republicans that would deport undocumented immigrants convicted of sex crimes.
On Thursday, the House passed HR 30, also known as the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, which was sponsored by Republican Nancy Mace of South Carolina.
The law would make any non-US citizens who are convicted or admitted to committing sex crimes deportable and barred from returning to the United States.
Migrants who commit sex crimes in the United States are already deported, and critics of the bill argue that it will make victims of domestic abuse afraid to report crimes against their abusers.
“This bill is going to deport victims of domestic violence,” she told The Independent. “Overwhelmingly women who are being abused and battered are going to be targeted by this, and it is really sad.”
When asked if she was disappointed by fellow Democrats who voted for the bill, Ocasio-Cortez said, “Of course.”
The vote comes after 48 House Democrats joined Republicans in passing the Laken Riley Act, which allows states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for “failures related to immigration enforcement.”
The bill also passed a critical vote in the Senate last week, with 32 Democrats voting to allow debate to proceed.
Veronica Escobar of Texas, who represents El Paso, told The Independent that it was “disapppointing” to see so many of her Democratic colleagues support Mace’s bill.
“I understand how hard it is to take the time to explain all of the unintended consequences,” Escobar said of the actress’s character. “I’m going to give her grace and say that there are unintended consequences to legislation like this, you know, but I also respect my colleagues’ decisions.”
In addition to the many moderates who supported the legislation, progressives such as Rep. Ro Khanna of California and Sarah McBride of Delaware supported Mace’s proposal.
Rep. Robert Garcia of California, a Democrat and immigrant, expressed his disappointment as well.
“I believe that people will cast their own votes, so I will not judge others,” he told The Independent. “I believe we need to be much stronger on immigrants’ rights. I believe it is fortunate that Republicans have proposed bills like this. As a result, I believe we must be much more forceful in our messaging.
Republicans, led by Donald Trump, aggressively attacked Democrats over the influx of immigrants at the US-Mexico border during Joe Biden’s presidency, flipping many majority-Hispanic counties in the Southwest.
Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat from Texas, said she understands why voters rejected their party but believes they were misled.
“I think that we’ve got to do a better job of messaging, because there are definitely Democrats that felt as if we lost because of trans folk or we lost because of immigration,” she told the journal The Independent.
“I don’t think they necessarily believe in the votes they cast. I believe they are concerned with what the people in their districts believe.
Crockett blamed Republicans for their immigration messaging, saying, “We know that [Republicans] are very good at lying, but we also know that they are going to be put into a precarious situation.”
Republicans in the House and Senate hope to increase spending on border security shortly after Trump takes office next week. Crockett did warn, however, that resolving border issues would be difficult.
“They are saying that they will solve all immigration issues,” she told The Independent. “Well, good freaking luck you have a Trump trifecta, you don’t need the Democrats, so good luck get it done, and let’s see what happens and I can guarantee you that ain’t s*** gonna happen.”
