In a significant move during President Donald Trump’s first hours in office, the U.S. Senate passed the Laken Riley Act on Monday with a 64-35 vote.
The bill, introduced by Republican Alabama Senator Katie Britt, aims to tighten immigration enforcement by mandating the detention of illegal immigrants convicted of theft-related crimes and allowing states to sue the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for harm caused by illegal immigration.
The bill now heads back to the House of Representatives for final approval of Senate amendments before reaching the president’s desk for a signature.
Daily Caller reported that although the bill passed with strong Republican support, it drew a mixed response from Democrats.
Only 12 Democratic senators voted in favor, joining all Republican senators to secure the bill’s passage.
The Democratic senators backing the legislation include Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen; Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman; Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly; New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen; Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock; Michigan Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin and Virginia Sen. Mark Warner
The House of Representatives previously passed the legislation in a 264-159 vote, with 48 Democrats aligning with Republicans.
The bill’s name honors Laken Riley, a 22-year-old woman tragically killed in November by Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela.
Resist the Mainstream reported back in November that Ibarra, who had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, was arrested by University of Georgia police and convicted of Riley’s murder.
The case reignited debates about immigration policies, sparking calls for stricter measures to prevent crimes by illegal individuals.
Daily Caller highlighted that supporters of the Laken Riley Act argue it will address these concerns by ensuring that individuals who violate U.S. immigration laws and commit crimes are detained and held accountable.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune highlighted the deliberative process leading to the bill’s passage, noting the bipartisan effort to amend and debate the legislation.
“Mr. President, when I was elected majority leader, I talked about my commitment to empowering members and restoring the Senate as a place of discussion and deliberation. I think we achieved that this past week,” Thune stated on the Senate floor.
“We have had an extended debate on the Laken Riley Act, with multiple amendment votes already, and we passed Senator Cornyn’s amendment with a strong bipartisan margin.”
While Thune praised the collaborative approach, opponents of the bill criticized it as overly punitive and questioned its potential impact on immigrant communities.
The bill’s next step is a return to the House for final approval, Daily Caller outlined.
If the House agrees to the Senate’s changes, the legislation will proceed to President Trump for his signature, marking a significant early achievement for the administration’s immigration agenda.
The passage of the Laken Riley Act signals a shift in federal immigration policy under the new administration.
By granting states the right to sue DHS for damages related to illegal immigration, the bill introduces a novel legal avenue that could reshape state-federal dynamics on immigration enforcement.
