The Republican-led House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to approve the Laken Riley Act, a new immigration detention law requiring federal officials to arrest non-citizens who commit crimes in the US. The bill, named in honor of nursing student Laken Riley, who was brutally murdered by an illegal immigrant last year, now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for final approval.
The legislation passed with bipartisan support and a vote of 263-156, with 46 Democrats crossing party lines to vote with the Republicans. The bill had previously been passed by the Senate, where several key amendments were added.
In the original text of the act, the Department of Homeland Security would be required to detain illegal immigrants charged with, convicted of, or who admit to theft-related crimes. Jose Ibarra, the illegal Venezuelan immigrant who bashed Riley’s skull with a rock during an attempted rape, had previously been arrested for multiple theft and shoplifting offenses but was released back onto the street rather than being deported.
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Amendments by the GOP-led Senate also added “the assault of a law enforcement officer offense, or any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury to another person” to the list of qualifying offenses that warrant detention.
The bill also allows states to sue federal officials for “injunctive relief” if national immigration policies bring harm to their citizens. This provision remained in place in the final version of the bill, despite attempts by Democrats to soften the language used.
“At long last, the Laken Riley Act is on its way to the White House to be signed into law by President Trump,” said Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), who led the House version of the bill and represents the district where Riley was murdered. “While we cannot bring her back, I am grateful to so many, including Senator Katie Britt, who fought for meaningful change to prevent this from happening to another American family.”
Critics in the Democratic Party argue that the bill undermines due process by mandating detention for those merely accused of crimes rather than convicted. During arguments on the legislation, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said that this would lead to the creation of “private prison camps” across the US, accusing Republicans of being well aware of this possibility.
Rep. @AOC on during Laken Riley Act debate: "When a private prison camp opens in your town and they say, 'we didn't know this was going to happen,' know that they did and they voted for it." pic.twitter.com/fim0j9FK0F
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 22, 2025
This act is expected to be the first law signed by President Donald Trump upon his return to the White House, reflecting a significant shift toward stricter immigration policies.
Connor Walcott is the lead writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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