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The House of Representatives approved the Laken Riley Act on Tuesday in a 264-159 vote, with all Republicans and 48 Democrats supporting the legislation. The bill, named after a 22-year-old murdered by an undocumented immigrant, has become a cornerstone of the GOP’s tough-on-immigration platform ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The legislation requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to issue detainers for undocumented immigrants arrested or convicted of burglary, theft, or shoplifting. It also allows states to sue the federal government if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) fails to enforce these measures.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where Republicans are pushing for a procedural vote as early as Friday. With Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman as a co-sponsor, GOP leaders hope to rally bipartisan support to overcome a filibuster.
The bill is named after Laken Riley, a young nursing student murdered by Jose Ibarra, an undocumented immigrant with a criminal record who had been released after a shoplifting arrest. The case has been a rallying cry for Republicans criticizing the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) cited Riley’s death during the House debate, calling it “a direct result of President Biden’s refusal to enforce our laws.”
Support and Opposition
Republican lawmakers have emphasized the bill as a necessary tool to combat crime and secure the border. Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) described it as a response to a mandate from voters.
“The American people … made it clear they want to remove criminal illegal aliens and protect American families,” Britt said.
Democratic opposition, however, centers on the bill’s broad scope and potential unintended consequences. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) criticized the legislation as “an empty and opportunistic measure” that would increase detention costs and fail to address the root causes of immigration issues.
Under the bill, Raskin argued, even individuals mistakenly arrested for shoplifting could face detention and deportation.
While some Senate Democrats, including Gary Peters (D-MI) and former House members Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), may support the bill, others are likely to resist. The GOP needs eight Democratic or independent votes to bypass a filibuster.
Sen. Fetterman emphasized the need to prevent tragedies like Riley’s while working toward comprehensive immigration reform. “No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence,” he said.
With the Laken Riley Act serving as the first test of Trump’s immigration agenda, its fate in the Senate will signal how the new administration might navigate the politically charged issue of immigration reform.
