1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

The Laken Riley Act poses a severe threat to civil liberties and could lead to increased racial profiling of minority communities. This draconian measure would mandate the detention of immigrants without legal status for minor offenses like shoplifting, despite no evidence that they pose a threat to public safety. Forcing prolonged detention for nonviolent crimes is an excessive overreach that undermines due process and human rights. Exploiting a tragic incident to further an anti-immigrant agenda is unconscionable. The Act perpetuates the harmful myth of immigrant criminality when studies consistently show immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than the U.S.-born population. Subjecting our longstanding immigrant communities to mandatory detention and potential deportation over minor infractions is cruel and counterproductive. Rather than scapegoating vulnerable groups, we should pursue evidence-based policies that uphold our constitutional values of equal protection and due process for all. Enhancing community policing, addressing root causes of crime, and ensuring fair trials would make us safer without resorting to discriminatory dragnet policies. I urge you to reject this misguided and draconian legislation that trades our civil liberties for an illusion of security.