The House of Representatives passed the Senate's revised version of the Laken-Riley Act on Wednesday, sending the first part of the major bill to President Trump's desk for his signature.
Lawmakers voted 263-156 to pass an amended version of the bill in the Senate dedicated to murdered jogger Laken Riley, who was violently strangled and bludgeoned to death in February 2024 by an illegal immigrant who had been charged with multiple past crimes. It was approved with a majority vote.
“Today, we will send the first bill to President Trump's desk for his signature into law,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) told reporters Wednesday.
“Look at the contrast between the last Congress, which passed the same bill, and Chuck Schumer's declaration that a Democratic Senate would not stand up for women who have been wrongfully assaulted. Joe Biden would have passed that bill. I wouldn't have signed it.”
Under the Laken-Riley Act, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is required to detain undocumented immigrants caught for crimes of “robbery, theft, theft, or shoplifting.”
The measure would allow state attorneys general to file lawsuits against the Secretary of Homeland Security if the government fails to enforce immigration laws and the state or its residents suffers “harm, including economic harm in excess of $100.” It also becomes possible.
On the Monday after President Trump took office, the Senate passed the Laken-Reilly Act with 12 Democrats voting 64-35. However, the Senate introduced two amendments, and the House had to vote again.
The two amendments added to the bill are: One is Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa); The bill would force ICE to detain undocumented immigrants charged with injury or murder, and would ensure that attacks on law enforcement automatically result in detention, including Sen. John Cornyn ( It also includes an amendment proposed by the Republican Party of Texas.
Democrats who opposed Laken Riley argued that immigration authorities lacked the resources needed to enforce the law and, without evidence, would divert resources to law enforcement against violent crimes.
“This bill has an astronomical price tag and will create more problems than it solves. It will make our immigration system more confusing and make our country less safe,” Chris said.・Senator Murphy (Democrat, Conn.) said in a statement.
The Connecticut senator who helped negotiate last year's failed border bill later said, “Under this bill, a detention center would be able to detain a child who steals gum from a gas station, which would be a serious crime.'' Those charged will be released.” Instead. “
Republicans plan to beef up law enforcement resources to ensure violent illegal immigrants are deported.
Riley, 22, a nursing student at the University of Georgia in Athens, was brutally murdered by Jose Ibarra, 26, a Venezuelan prison gang member, while jogging on February 22, 2024.
Ibarra was found guilty on all charges related to the murder in November last year and sentenced to life in prison.
Ibarra, a gang member from Torren de Aragua, entered El Paso, Texas, through the southern border on September 8, 2022, but was released due to insufficient detention space, immigration authorities said.
Before Riley's death, Ybarra had had multiple run-ins with the law. In December 2023, a warrant was issued for his arrest for failing to appear in court for a shoplifting case in Georgia.
He had previously been arrested on child endangerment charges after riding his moped through the streets of Queens, holding his wife's child for dear life, authorities told the Post.
ICE later revealed that Mr. Ybarra was not detained after his arrest in the Empire State because he was released before authorities could secure a detainee.
The Laken Riley Act was introduced by Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.), a Peach state representative whose district includes Athens, where Riley was bludgeoned to death.
Collins, 57, introduced the bill last year, which passed the House but was not taken up in the then-Democratic-controlled Senate.
The Laken Riley Act includes several measures that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) called “low-hanging fruit” on immigration policy as Republican lawmakers focus on more comprehensive border security measures. It is one of the
This comprehensive border reform is expected to be packaged with other key Republican objections on issues such as energy and defense. House Republicans are pushing for a major package that includes tax reform, but senators are calling for it to be bifurcated.
