Immigration Advocates Turn on Nevada Democrats
Nevada’s Democratic Senators Jackie Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto face intense backlash from illegal immigration advocates after joining Republicans to advance the Laken Riley Act, amid shifting Hispanic voter allegiances in the Silver State.
Make the Road Nevada, an illegal immigrant rights organization, issued a blistering rebuke of both senators’ votes.
The group’s Executive Director, Leo Murrieta, accused the senators of “complicity in advancing policies that exploit tragedy to harm immigrant communities” and charged that they had “aligned with racism instead of meaningful solutions that prioritize public safety.”
Shifting Hispanic Political Landscape
The harsh criticism comes as Nevada’s Hispanic voters show increasing willingness to support Republican candidates and policies, particularly on issues of border security and public safety.
A recent UnidosUS poll found 82% of Latino voters support cracking down on human traffickers and drug smugglers at the southern border, while 58% back expanded border patrol and security funding.
This shift makes the political calculus more complex for Cortez Masto, the first Latina elected to the Senate, and Rosen, who must balance traditional Democratic coalition demands with changing voter preferences.
Democratic Coalition Under Strain
The Laken Riley Act, named after a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was murdered allegedly by an illegal immigrant who had been previously arrested in New York and released, gained momentum when eight Senate Democrats, including both Nevada senators, broke ranks to support it.
“This bill won’t make us safer; it will deepen inequality and tear families apart. immigrants—our family, neighbors, and coworkers—deserve justice, dignity, and due process.”
Make the Road Nevada’s fierce response suggests a widening rift between moderate Democrats and illegal immigration activists.
Murrieta decried:
“Our communities deserve leaders who fight for justice and dignity—not those who cave to anti-immigrant pressure,”
Nevada Implementation Questions
The bill’s impact in Nevada adds another layer of political complexity. Democrat Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, who supported sanctuary state policies during his time as a state senator, would be granted new powers to challenge federal immigration enforcement.
The legislation gives state attorneys general new authority to sue the federal government over lax immigration enforcement, requires mandatory detention for certain immigration violations, and enhances coordination between state and federal law enforcement on immigration matters.
Ford’s stance raises questions about how aggressively Nevada would use these new enforcement tools if the bill becomes law.
Murrieta said in his statement:
“This legislation expands mandatory detention and gives anti-immigrant attorneys general the power to dictate federal immigration policy, targeting immigrant families already living under constant fear,”
Yet the senators’ votes might actually align with their constituents’ evolving views on immigration enforcement.
Uncertain Political Future
The organization emphasized:
“Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto must take responsibility for the harm caused by this legislation and commit to rebuilding trust with the communities they’ve hurt.”
As the bill moves to the House of Representatives, Make the Road Nevada promised continued resistance.
Murrieta said:
“As this moves to the House of Representatives, we’ll continue to advocate and stand alongside our communities to fight for their rights and future,”
These demands from progressive organizations come as Hispanic voters, now comprising one in five voters nationally, show increasing willingness to break from traditional Democratic positions on border security.
While advocacy groups maintain their progressive stance, both senators appear to be reading the political winds of their state. This realignment suggests the political cost of supporting the Laken Riley Act might be less than advocacy groups claim.
The bill, which could become the first major legislative accomplishment of a new era in immigration policy, has exposed deep divisions within the Democratic coalition.
However, with Nevada’s Hispanic community showing growing support for enhanced border security measures, both senators may find their vote more politically advantageous than their progressive critics realize.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
