Democratic senator blocks GOP bill to detain illegal immigrants charged with violent crime | 6 March 2024 | Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, attempted to force a floor vote Wednesday on a law that would require illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes be detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the hope of preventing avoidable attacks and resulting deaths. The Iowa Republican's unanimous consent request was thwarted by Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who objected to the request. Ernst requested unanimous consent from her colleagues in order to advance Sarah's Law to the floor for a vote. During her speech, she pleaded with colleagues to pass her bill, recalling the death of Sarah Root and also referencing the recent death of Laken Riley, both allegedly at the hands of illegal immigrants. The bill would require ICE to take into custody illegal immigrants who are arrested and charged with causing the death or serious injury of another.