A Republican lawmaker has called for the bishop who told Donald Trump to "have mercy" on scared children, including LGBTQ+ children and immigrants, to be deported.
Georgia Rep. Mike Collins said in a tweet with video of Trump's inauguration prayer service that "The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list."
The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list. pic.twitter.com/d7a2z1CM6s
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) January 21, 2025
During the sermon at Washington National Cathedral, Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, asked Trump directly to "have mercy" on "gay, lesbian and transgender children ... some who fear for their lives."
The bishop also begged for "mercy" for "communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away."
Collins authored the Laken Riley Act, which passed the House on Jan. 8 and the Senate on Monday. The modified bill, which returns to the House, would give local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) more resources to go after immigrants who are in the country illegally and commit crimes.
The bill is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old woman who was killed by an undocumented immigrant. Currently, enforcement can only go after undocumented immigrants who are accused of serious offenses such as murder, rape and drug charges.
The Laken Riley Act would allow officials to go after those facing smaller charges, even if they have not been convicted. Riley's attacker had faced a shoplifting charge, as reported by Politico.
However, ICE estimates that implementing the bill would be extremely costly, forcing the government to spend close to $27 billion a year.
Proponents of the bill, such as Collins, argue that public safety should be the top priority, while immigration lawyers argue that it could lead to a surge in racial profiling.
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