Just over 48 hours into his second term, Congress gave President Donald Trump a bill to crack down on illegal immigration after he signs it.
the house I voted Forty-six Democrats joined House Republicans in sending the Laken-Reilly Act to President Trump’s desk, winning 263-156. The bill’s bipartisan approval in the House of Representatives came after its passage in the Senate. Laken Riley method Twelve Democrats, led by the bill’s sponsors, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, supported the bill on a 64-35 vote Monday. (Related: Trump administration just strengthened ICE’s ability to quickly deport illegal immigrants)
The Laken Riley Act is named in honor of a University of Georgia nursing student who was killed by an illegal immigrant while on the run near the university’s campus in February 2024. The law requires federal immigration authorities to detain illegal immigrants related to theft. A crime that occurred in America. The bill would also allow state attorneys general to sue the federal government for failing to enforce immigration laws, a provision opposed by a majority of Democrats who voted against the bill.
The Senate adopted two amendments to the Laken Riley Act from Republican Sens. John Cornyn (Texas) and Joni Ernst (Iowa) before sending the bill to the House for approval. . Both amendments expanded the list of crimes that require the detention of illegal immigrants, including assaults on law enforcement officers and crimes that cause death or serious bodily injury.
Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst speaks on the Senate floor Monday about her proposed amendment to the Laken-Reilly Act, known as Sarah’s Law. (Photo courtesy of Ernst’s office)
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune agreed to prioritize the Laken-Riley Act at the beginning of the 119th Congress, reflecting voters’ rejection of open borders in November. Yes, said Republican Rep. Mike Collins, the Laken-Riley law’s lead sponsor. House of Representatives told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“This was the first bill to pass the House. This was the first bill to pass the Senate,” Collins told DCNF. “The American people were demanding something be passed, and something happened.”
This afternoon: The House is expected to pass the amendment. @RepMikeCollins Laken Riley method.
This bill will ensure that all illegal criminals, like Laken Riley’s killer, are arrested, detained, and ultimately deported.
Once passed, the bill will be sent to the President’s desk. pic.twitter.com/nw3PWugL6i
— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) January 22, 2025
Bipartisan support for the Laken Riley Act in the Senate is strong, with just 37 House Democrats joining their Republican colleagues in voting in favor of passing the bill in March 2024. This is very different from the previous Congress, where the bill was rejected.
A majority of left-leaning Democrats, including Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, vehemently opposed the Laken Riley Act, calling the bill a “fundamental violation of civil rights” that would deprive undocumented immigrants of due process. denounced.
“If someone [illegal migrant] They have been accused of so many crimes, and if someone wanted to point out and press charges for shoplifting, they would be rounded up, put in a private detention center, and deported without a single day of trial. Ocasio-Cortez said in her speech. House debate on the bill.
Supporters of the Laken-Riley law argue that if the law had been signed into law before Riley’s death, Riley’s murderer, José Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan national, would have been able to move to Georgia before he died. He repeatedly claimed he would have been arrested and deported for shoplifting at an Athens Walmart. Kill Riley.
According to the language of the Senate amendment bill passed by the House, ICE will use illegal immigrants like Ybarra who are charged with theft-related crimes, crimes resulting in assault on a law enforcement officer, or crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury. needs to be detained. .
“If the Laken Riley Act had become the law of the land last year, she would still be with us today,” Collins told DCNF in an interview Tuesday.
A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a DCNF inquiry about whether President Trump intended to sign the bill.
