The House passed the final version of the Laken Riley Act, and it will go straight to Trump's desk
It will be the first legislation enacted by the new Republican president.
Johnson was recently re-elected as speaker of the House/ Mandel Ngan.
The House of Representatives passed the final version of the Laken Riley Act, which would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal immigrants for "any theft, burglary, or shoplifting offense." The text will go directly to Donald Trump's desk and is expected to be the first law of the new Republican president.
The House had passed an earlier version of the bill, but since the Senate passed it with modifications, it had to come back for ratification in its new and final version. The text obtained 263 votes in favor and 156 against, with 46 Democrats joining all Republicans present in the majority.
The legislation is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant at the University of Georgia on February 22, 2024. The man responsible for the crime, Jose Ibarra, was sentenced in November to life in prison without parole.
">My statement on final passage of The Laken Riley Act. Thank you @SenKatieBritt. Next up, @POTUS desk! pic.twitter.com/vw1LzItcZa
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) January 22, 2025
The bill was sponsored by Mike Collins (R-GA) in the House and Katie Britt (R-AL) in the Senate.
"Thank you to all those who fought with me to get justice for Laken. While we cannot bring her back, I am grateful to so many, including senator Katie Britt. who fought for meaningful change to prevent this for happening to another american family," the Georgia congressman expressed on his social media.
"The American people spoke loud and clear in November demanding change—demanding border security and keeping American families safe. Senate Republicans listened. House Republicans, with the leadership of Congressman Mike Collins, listened, and, today, Congress turned promises made into promises kept. Working alongside President Trump, our Republican majorities are going to continue fighting to make America safe again and secure our border," Britt said in a statement.
What does the Laken Riley Act do?
According to Collins, the legislation will directly address one of the flaws related to Riley's murder.
"Her killer, Jose Ibarra, is an illegal immigrant who had previously been cited for shoplifting by the Athens Police Department. If local police had called ICE, and ICE had issued a warrant and arrested him, Laken would be alive. Ibarra was convicted in November 2024 and has been sentenced to life without parole," Collins explained.
With this in mind, the legislation would do two things:
- It would amend federal law to require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers and take custody of illegal aliens who commit theft-related crimes, such as shoplifting, as defined by state and local laws. The amendment John Cornyn included in the Senate added assault on a law enforcement officer to the crimes that trigger detention; meanwhile, Sen. Joni Ernst's amendment expanded the law to include acts that cause death or bodily injury.
- It would allow state attorneys general to sue the secretary of Homeland Security for injunctive relief if immigration actions such as parole, failure to comply with detention requirements or other policy failures harm that state or its citizens.
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