On Wednesday, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) thwarted Republicans’ efforts to protect American citizens from illegal alien violence — blocking a bill that would have automatically detained illegal aliens who are charged with violent crimes.

It appears that Democrats will not even take the moderate position on illegal immigration. While conservatives have been calling to close the border and deport all or most illegal aliens currently living in the country, Democrats will not even concede to detaining illegal aliens who have committed violent acts against Americans — taking their open border policies and preference for illegal aliens over Americans to a new level.

On Wednesday, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) attempted to force a floor vote on a Sarah’s Law, measure that would allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain any illegal alien charged with a violent crime — thereby preventing radical leftist prosecutors from releasing the violent illegal aliens to continue terrorizing the community and committing more crimes.

The Iowa Republican called for unanimous consent for the measure, which would pass the bill without further debate or committee work. During her speech on the Senate floor, Ernst explained that murder victims like Laken Riley and Sarah Root would still be alive if leftist prosecutors had not released their illegal alien killers after they were arrested for previous crimes.

“It would merely require ICE to detain, just to detain, otherwise deportable illegal immigrants charged with killing or seriously injuring another person,” she explained, adding that it would prevent the illegal alien suspects from committing other crimes while their case went through the legal system.

We must pass Sarah’s Law.

For Laken Riley’s family. For Sarah Root’s family.

For countless American families it would protect from illegal immigrants. pic.twitter.com/8t66qahVhR

— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) March 6, 2024

However, unanimous consent can be stopped by a single nay vote — which Durbin was happy to provide.

The Senate Majority Whip falsely claimed that automatically detaining illegal aliens for committing violent crimes would “deprive immigrants of the due process that everyone is afforded” — refusing to explain why illegal aliens should be afforded these rights, especially given the fact that Americans who commit violent crimes are often held on bail or with bail revoked pending their case.

Ernst’s bill was named after Sarah Root, who was murdered at 21 years old by a violent illegal alien, Edwin Mejia — who was released on bond even though he was facing a murder charge and subsequently fled the country, avoiding justice for Root’s death and preventing her loved ones from receiving closure. Mejia was able to avoid being detained thanks to a rule from then-President Barack Obama’s administration that prevented ICE from taking him into custody “despite his repeated driving offenses and history of skipping court dates,” Ernst noted.

She also pointed to the consequences of President Joe Biden’s massive “catch and release” policy, which allowed 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley to be murdered by an illegal alien repeat offender who was set free despite being previously held in federal custody.