Dem Sen. Warnock calls Laken Riley Act 'smoke and mirrors,' by people who aren't 'serious'

Democratic Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock called the Republican-led Laken Riley Act "smoke and mirrors" on Tuesday, accusing lawmakers of failing to do anything substantive to address the crisis at the southern border. 

The legislation, which was passed in the House, would require the Department of Homeland Security to take illegal immigrants into custody if they have been charged with theft-related crimes.

Warnock appeared on MSNBC's "The ReidOut" with host Joy Reid on Tuesday when he was asked about what the legislation would do to address crime. 

REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN INTRODUCES ‘LAKEN RILEY ACT’ 

"Let me, first of all, just say that my heart goes out to this young woman’s family. Laken Riley did not deserve what happened to her," he said. "To answer your question succinctly, this is smoke and mirrors by people who are not serious."

"We had a bipartisan piece of legislation in front of us. It had a lot of provisions, some provisions that some folks on my side didn’t like," he added. "But the only way to get comprehensive immigration reform, the only way to address the current crisis on the border in divided government, is on a bipartisan basis."

Riley, 22, a nursing student, was killed in February on the campus of the University of Georgia. Jose Antonio Ibarra, the illegal immigrant from Venezuela charged with the killing, was arrested in New York prior to the murder, but was not detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Republicans have tried to pressure the Biden administration to get behind the bill introduced by Rep. Mike Collins, R- Ga. Twenty-six attorneys general across the U.S. penned a letter to Senate leadership on Wednesday urging the passage of the Laken Riley Act.

Warnock previously criticized Republicans, saying they were trying to "score cheap political" points in connection to Riley’s death after her name was wrongfully invoked by President Biden during last week's State of the Union address.

"Rather than demagoguing this tragic death by this young woman, they ought to get serious," Warnock told Reid. "And let’s pass some bipartisan legislation and deal with the crisis at the border."