On Sean Hannity’s show this week Representative Ro Khanna tried to paint the national debate over immigration enforcement as a quarrel of equals, saying there’s been “heated rhetoric” on both sides. Hardworking Americans saw something different: one side wants secure borders and accountability, the other side rewards softness that leaves families vulnerable.
Khanna drew particular heat for his vote against the Laken Riley Act, legislation that plainly requires federal detention of noncitizens arrested for theft and related crimes and gives states recourse when the federal government fails to enforce the law. Commonsense measures like this are about public safety, not politics, and they were written precisely because loopholes and inaction cost lives.
Americans remember why the bill carries Laken Riley’s name: a promising young nursing student whose life was stolen in a brutal campus murder tied to an illegal entrant. The tragedy crystallized the consequences of lax enforcement and turned sympathy into a bipartisan push for change among a number of lawmakers.
Khanna defended his vote by invoking the principle of “innocent until proven guilty,” a noble ideal twisted here into an excuse to handcuff ICE and other law enforcement before a trial even happens. Voters will not forget that while he mouths concern, he sided with those who would tie agents’ hands and leave communities at risk.
Meanwhile, Democrats continue to scold ICE and cheerlead for sanctuary politics that put ideology above victims, even as a majority of House Republicans and dozens of Democrats voted to restore basic detentions and accountability. That bipartisan backing showed this is not a partisan stunt but a necessary step toward restoring order and protecting citizens.
If Washington’s elites think solemn phrases about “rhetoric” excuse votes that make America less safe, they’re out of touch with the hardworking patriots paying the price. Americans want leaders who stand with law enforcement, secure our borders, and put ordinary families ahead of political theater — and they’ll hold spineless politicians accountable at the ballot box.
