The Senate adopted the first amendment to the Laken-Reilly Act on Wednesday as Republicans seek a legislative victory to open the new Congress.
The current bill would require federal detention of immigrants without legal status who are accused of theft, robbery, and other related crimes.
Senators on Wednesday voted 70-25 in favor of an amendment proposed by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to detain immigrants without legal permanent resident status on charges of assaulting a law enforcement officer. The law requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities to do so. The 20 Democrats voted along with all the Republicans present.
Riley, the Georgia college student for whom the bill is named, was killed in February by a Venezuelan immigrant who had been arrested for shoplifting before the attack and later released on parole.
Sens. Jim Justice (R-Va.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) did not vote.
Passage required 50 votes instead of the usual 51 because Vice President-elect J.D. Vance's seat recently became vacant.
Senators also voted 46-49 along party lines to reject a second amendment proposed by Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware).
The proposal would repeal a portion of the bill that would give state attorneys general authority to prosecute federal immigration officials for detention, a provision that upset many Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., predicted earlier in the day that the amendment process would be short-lived as Democrats seek to amend a bill they believe is flawed.
The bill has already cleared two procedural hurdles in the Senate by overwhelming margins. Many Democratic lawmakers have vowed to support the bill in a final vote, but some have said they have voted to open the bill to public debate to try to make amendments.
“We will have an amendment process here on the floor, and this is the kind of amendment process that has been lacking in recent years. We will push for a vote on amendments that will further strengthen this bill,” Thune said. said.
“In the coming days, the Senate will have a serious debate on this amendment and other amendments and the Laken-Riley Act. That's the Senate's role,” Thune added. “We're going to have the debate and we're going to try to craft the strongest bill that we can get passed. That's our goal.”
The South Dakota Republican also said he supports Sen. Joni Ernst's (R-Iowa) amendment, known as Sara's Law. The amendment would expand the bill to include the detention of illegal immigrants charged with causing death or serious bodily injury.
Ernst's proposal is named after Sarah Root, who was killed in a car crash involving an illegal immigrant in 2016 and then jumped bail and fled the United States.
The Laken-Reilly bill passed the House earlier this month with the support of 48 Democrats, but it has been amended and must return to the House for a second vote.
Updated at 7:12pm ET
