By The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the Laken Riley Act, a federal immigration bill named after Laken Riley, a nursing student who was tragically killed by an undocumented immigrant while jogging on the University of Georgia’s campus. Scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, this vote represents a significant development in the ongoing congressional debate over immigration policy.
159 Democrats voted against the bill.
The bill, introduced by Representative Mike Collins, a Republican from Georgia, would require federal immigration authorities to detain undocumented immigrants convicted of theft-related crimes. Additionally, it would grant states the power to sue the Department of Homeland Security if they suffer harm due to failures in federal immigration enforcement.
Jose Ibarra, the individual convicted of Riley’s murder, had a prior criminal record and had been arrested before. However, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not detain him following those earlier arrests. Ibarra was later found guilty on multiple charges related to Riley’s death and sentenced to life in prison.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Republican from Louisiana, underscored the bill’s significance, presenting it as a way to hold the Biden administration accountable for what he described as lenient immigration policies. Scalise highlighted key provisions, including mandatory ICE detention for undocumented individuals involved in theft and the legal authority for states to hold federal agencies accountable through lawsuits.
Previously, the Laken Riley Act passed the House with bipartisan support, securing votes from all participating Republicans and 37 Democrats, resulting in a 251-170 final tally. Despite this success, the bill stalled in the Senate, which was then under Democratic control.
That may soon change. In the aftermath of Trump’s victory, at least one Democrat in the upper chamber has signed onto the bill. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman announced that he will back the measure, joining Republicans.
The senator’s office released a statement, saying, “Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people,” his office wrote in a statement. “No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence.”
“Immigration is what makes our country great,” it continued. “I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system.”
Laken Riley’s murder became a focal point in the broader immigration debate, symbolizing the divide between Republicans, who advocate for stricter enforcement policies, and Democrats, who support lax border policies that led to millions of migrants entering the country illegally during Biden’s term.
Liberals have become so beholden to illegal immigrants that they made Biden apologize for calling Riley’s murderer an “illegal” during the State of the Union address. Furthermore, in early 2024, Democratic Senator Chis Murphy explicitly claimed that those in the country unlawfully were “the Americans we care about.”
Last September, House Democrats made clear their commitment to illegal immigration when they voted against a bill that would deport those in the country illegally convicted of sex crimes.
The vote, which was brushed under the rug during the campaign, received renewed interest when Elon Musk recently criticized Democrats for the vote.
“There is no excuse. Please post the list of people who opposed this law and want to keep illegals who are convicted sex offenders in America,” Musk posted to his X account on Saturday referencing the September House vote.
“They all need to be voted out of office. Every one of them.”
There is no excuse. Please post the list of people who opposed this law and want to keep illegals who are convicted sex offenders in America.
They all need to be voted out of office. Every one of them. https://t.co/nuimP3Hsm1
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 5, 2025
“The legislation would deport illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes, and would also deem illegal immigrants who admit to domestic violence or sex-related charges – or are convicted of them – to be inadmissible in the U.S., Fox Digital previously reported. The legislation is currently with the Senate, and was referred to the Judiciary Committee,” Fox News explained.
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