Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is following in the footsteps of some of her fellow Democrats in calling for the decriminalization of illegal border crossings.
Today, if an individual crosses the border illegally, they can be detained because it is a criminal offense to do so. If Warren has her way, an illegal border crossing would be treated as a misdemeanor and the individual would just be issued a citation, similar to a speeding ticket.
This could drastically change the situation at the border because border patrol would no longer have grounds to detain illegal immigrants unless they have committed an additional crime, such as drug trafficking.
Warren told Huff Post:
“We should not be criminalizing mamas and babies trying to flee violence at home or trying to build a better future. We must pass comprehensive immigration reform that is in line with our values, creates a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants including our DREAMers, and protects our borders.”
The senator isn’t the first to make this proposal. Her fellow 2020 Democrat and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro announced his plan to decriminalize illegal border crossings shortly after announcing his candidacy. – READ MORE