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JUST IN: Laken Riley Act Passes House, Set To Become First Bill Trump Signs Into Law

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The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Laken Riley Act, an immigration bill named after a University of Georgia student who was murdered by an illegal alien. The legislation already passed bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate, making it the first piece of legislation signed by President Trump in his second term.

An amended version of the legislation passed in the House on Wednesday by a vote of 263-156. A total of 46 House Democrats joined all Republicans in voting “yes,” which means the bill is now headed to President Trump’s desk. The bill previously passed in the U.S. Senate by a vote of 64-35, with all “no” votes coming from Democrats.

Introduced by Senator Katie Britt (R-AL), the Laken Riley Act focuses on closing loopholes in immigration enforcement.

Its provisions include mandatory detention for illegal immigrants charged with crimes such as burglary, theft, or shoplifting, as well as empowering states to sue the federal government for failures in immigration enforcement. The legislation seeks to prevent the release of individuals like José Antonio Ibarra, the illegal immigrant who murdered Riley after multiple arrests and releases due to lax enforcement.

Riley (right) was stalked, raped and murdered by Ibarra (left) while going out for a jog

The House passed an initial version of the bill on January 7, where it received strong bipartisan backing in a 264-159 vote, including support from 48 Democrats. While the Republican-controlled Senate overwhelmingly voted in favor of bringing the legislation to the floor, a total of 35 Democrats withheld their support when it came time for a full floor vote.

“The bill’s provisions open the door to awful abuses. They serve as an invitation for domestic abusers, corrupt employers, and vigilante neighbors to threaten and falsely accuse undocumented people to exploit them or prompt their detention,” said Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), who voted against even considering the legislation on the floor. “And while the law is supposed to keep dangerous people from being in the country, it’ll be used against children and Dreamers who are here legally, too, and could start another family separation disaster all over again. I agree with state law enforcement officials who have said the legislation will undermine trust in law enforcement and hinder public safety.”

Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) slammed the bill’s detractors for getting in the way of common sense, bipartisan immigration security aimed at protecting American citizens. “Yeah, look, the Lincoln-Riley Act is ultimately going to save lives. It is a common sense piece of legislation and it actually puts the talk that we’ve been having over the last four years into action,” Britt told CNN when the bill advanced to a floor vote. 

“Jake, there’s been no more litigated issue over the last four years than President Biden and Vice President Harris’s open border policies. It is my belief that the American people entered a verdict on that on November 5th, saying we are ready for secure borders,” she went on to tell host Jake Tapper. “We want our streets and our communities to be safe and secure. This is the first step in doing this. This is a targeted piece of legislation that goes directly to the heart of the tragedy that occurred with Laken Riley.”

Despite opposition from Democrats, the final version of the Laken Riley Act ultimately passed in the Senate, and finally in the House for a second time on Wednesday.

“The Laken Riley Act will now go to President Trump’s desk for him to sign into law,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) wrote in an X post on Wednesday. “Criminal illegal aliens must be detained, deported, and NEVER allowed back into our country. The American people demand and deserve safety and security.”

President Trump has indicated that he will be signing the bill as soon as it lands on his desk.