The Senate on Friday strengthened the Laken-Riley Act, poised to become the first major border and immigration bill passed by Congress in decades.
Senators voted 61-35 in favor of invoking cloture, also known as “breaking the filibuster,” raising the possibility of a Monday vote on final passage. Friday's vote was the final procedural hurdle to halt a final vote on the bill.
The Laken-Riley Act requires DHS to detain illegal aliens arrested, charged, or convicted of crimes such as robbery, theft, theft, and shoplifting. The bill, named after a 22-year-old nursing student who was brutally murdered in Georgia last year by an illegal alien released into the interior of the United States, passed the House on January 8th.
The two senators from Riley's home state of Georgia, both Democrats, split their votes. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is up for re-election in 2026, voted in favor of the bill, while Sen. Raphael Warnock, who won't face voters until 2028, voted against it.
If the bill passes as expected on Monday, it will return to the House for another vote as the Senate amends the bill. The revised version will pass the House and end up on President Donald Trump's desk.
The bill marks the first legislative victory for President Trump and his new administration.
60 votes are required to trigger the closure. Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and John Letterman (D-Pennsylvania) did not vote, but each likely supported the bill. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Conn.) also missed the vote, leaving his Ohio Senate seat vacant.
Bradley Jay is the deputy political editor at Breitbart News. please follow him X/Twitter and Instagram @BradleyAJaye.
