Voto Latino Condemns Trump’s Laken Riley Act and Guantanamo Detention Plan: A Threat to Constitutional Rights and Economy Stability
White House Doubles Down: Any Immigrant Without Legal Status is “Criminal” and Subject to Immediate Deportation
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law, further weaponizing the immigration system in a way that threatens families, communities, and the U.S. economy. The national organization Voto Latino, dedicated to empowering Latino communities through civic engagement, expresses deep concern over this legislation and the President’s new plan to open a detention center at Guantanamo Bay to hold up to 30,000 migrants living in the U.S. without legal status.
“There is no doubt that the immigration process is broken. However, extreme measures targeting anyone regardless of status are a failed policy right off the bat. The President has only been in office nine days, and already alarming cases of U.S. citizens—including veterans and Native Americans—being profiled and detained by ICE are being reported across the country. The Laken Riley Act will only exacerbate the problem, promising to infringe on the freedoms of U.S. citizens and undocumented individuals alike. With over 16 million Americans having an undocumented loved one, this law is an attack on American families. By stripping due process, subjecting people to indefinite detention, and accelerating mass deportations, the Riley Act sacrifices family unity and community stability for political theater,” said María Teresa Kumar, Co-Founder and President of Voto Latino.
“The Laken Riley Act raises serious constitutional concerns by undermining the 14th Amendment, which guarantees due process and equal protection under the law. Legal experts warn that by fast-tracking deportations and limiting judicial review, this law erodes fundamental rights and places countless individuals—including those with legal claims to residency—at risk of being unlawfully removed. The broad enforcement measures risk violating the constitutional protections afforded to all individuals on U.S. soil, setting a dangerous precedent for civil liberties.
The economic fallout of the Laken Riley Act will be felt nationwide, as immigrants—including DACA recipients and TPS holders—play an essential role in industries that keep the U.S. economy running. By forcing mass deportations and increased detentions, the law will hurt small businesses, disrupt labor markets, and eliminate billions in tax contributions.
The plan to detain migrants at Guantanamo Bay, a facility notorious for human rights abuses and indefinite detentions without trial, exacerbates these concerns. This move signals a troubling escalation in the administration’s punitive approach to immigration enforcement.
As the administration moves forward with these aggressive policies, advocacy groups are mobilizing to fight back and challenge the constitutionality of this sweeping legislation. Voto Latino urges Congress to focus on comprehensive immigration reform that reflects American values—protecting families, ensuring due process, and fostering economic stability.”
###
Voto Latino is a grassroots political organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latino voters, as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy. Since its founding, Voto Latino has registered over 1.4 million voters, mobilized tens of thousands of voters in the 2022 midterms, helping to defeat the so-called “red wave” and keep the Senate majority-Democrat. In 2024, Voto Latino filed several lawsuits to defend voting rights in Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina ahead of the elections.