[guest post by Dana]

The Laken Riley Act advanced today:

Senate Democrats overwhelmingly helped advance the GOP’s first bill to address illegal immigration on Thursday, a signal the legislation could pass next week.

Only nine Democrats voted against moving forward on the legislation, and even party leaders like Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) voted to advance it. However, some of those Democrats have pushed to make amendments to the bill — something Republicans are unlikely to allow — so its prospects for passage are still unclear.

One of the amendments Democrats want to put in place is that Dreamers be exempt. Additionally, Democrats might amend the language of the bill to “narrow the threshold for what triggers ICE detention of an undocumented person”.

About the bill:

The Laken Riley Act would change federal law to require ICE, operating under the Department of Homeland Security, to take custody of people in the country illegally and detain them over theft-related crimes. It would target people who are charged, arrested or convicted for committing an act of “burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting,” according to the bill text.

The legislation would also empower state attorneys general to sue the federal government for alleged failures of immigration enforcement “if the State or its residents experience harm, including financial harm in excess of $100.”

After the presidential election results, Democrats may finally be starting to understand and acknowledge that a majority voters consider the control of illegal immigration a priority. Especially for those who commit crimes once they are here in the U.S. Consider:

Walking off the floor, Sen. John Fetterman responded to a question as to why he thinks more Democrats are jumping on board the Laken Riley Act.

“A blinding flash of common sense,” he said.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

As I’m sure you know, the fires in Southern California have wrought destruction throughout Los Angeles county:

Five people have died, more than 2,000 structures have burned and at least 130,000 residents are under evacuation orders because of the wildfires burning across Los Angeles County. ‘We are absolutely not out of danger yet,’ Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said.

While the intense winds have slowed down, meteorologists say they expect to see them increase today. Unfortunately, that means that burning embers can continue to be blown long distances, igniting new fires.

“We’ll get a little bump up in winds as we get another little push of offshore flow. . .Nothing like we saw yesterday with the gusts of 80 to 100 miles per hour winds, but certainly enough to present some issues for the fires. … It’s kind of like a day on, day off sort of thing. At least until the middle of next week we’re going to be in that pattern.”

The worst part: there is no rain expected in the next few days.

If you want to help victims of the fire, there is a good resource list here.

It’s a disaster of mind-boggling proportions. I have loved ones on the periphery of one fire, so it’s pretty concerning to me. I know many readers are from the Southern California area, so I hope and pray that you are safe and not directly impacted. Mostly, thoughts and prayers -and hope- to those whose lives have been literally turned upside down by this devastation.

FYI: The Los Angeles Times has lifted the paywall on their coverage of the fires.

-—Dana