The U.S. Senate voted to pass the Laken Riley Act on Monday, just hours after President Donald Trump took office.
The bill would require federal immigration authorities to detain illegal immigrants who commit theft-related crimes in the United States and would allow states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for harming their residents by illegal immigration. is also accepted.
The bill passed by a vote of 64-35. Only 12 Democrats voted in favor of the bill. (Related: Senate advances Laken Riley Act with support from some Democrats)
The Democrats who voted in favor of the bill are:
- Nevada State Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
- Pennsylvania State Senator John Fetterman
- Arizona State Senator Ruben Gallego
- New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan
- Arizona State Senator Mark Kelly
- Georgia State Senator Jon Ossoff
- Michigan State Senator Gary Peters
- Nevada State Senator Jacky Rosen
- New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen
- Michigan State Senator Elissa Slotkin
- Virginia State Senator Mark Warner
- Georgia State Senator Raphael Warnock
The bill was introduced in the Senate by Republican Alabama Sen. Katie Britt. (Related: After election, 6 Democrats reverse votes to support Laken-Riley law)
The Laken-Reilly Act ultimately passed the House by a vote of 264-159, with all Republicans voting in favor. In the end, 48 Democrats voted in favor of the bill. (Related: 159 Democrats voted against Laken-Riley law)
Jose Antonio Ibarra, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela who illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border, was convicted in November of killing Riley, 22. He was arrested by University of Georgia Police.
Before the vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on the Senate floor that he believed he had given lawmakers the authority to debate and debate the bill as promised.
“Mr. President, when I was elected Majority Leader, I spoke about my commitment to empowering members and restoring the Senate as a forum for debate and deliberation. I hope we were able to accomplish that last week. “We have had extended consideration of the Laken-Reilly Act, we have already voted on multiple amendments, and we passed Sen. Cornyn’s amendment by a strong bipartisan margin,” Thune said.
The bill will now return to the House of Commons. If the House approves the Senate’s changes, it will go to Trump’s desk for his signature.
