The Senate overwhelmingly voted Thursday afternoon to advance legislation that would empower federal agents to detain illegal immigrants arrested for theft and related crimes.
The GOP-controlled Senate voted 84 to 9 to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed with the Laken Riley Act, clearing a key procedural hurdle needed to advance the legislation. Dozens of Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), joined a united GOP caucus in voting to move forward with the legislation, which is named for the Georgia nursing student who was brutally murdered by an illegal immigrant last year.
“Today, on the eve of what should have been Laken Riley’s 23rd Birthday, let’s honor her legacy and advance a bipartisan bill that will help save American lives,” said Senator Katie Britt (R. Ala.), who helped lead the Senate GOP’s effort to push the bill through.
Prior to the Senate vote, a number of Democrats made it known that they would support moving the Laken Riley Act forward for it to be debated and amended. Senator Raphael Warnock (D., Ga.) joined the party Thursday morning, coming out in favor of moving the bill to floor debate.
“I continue to pray for Laken Riley’s family and friends who are still grieving her loss. I’m voting to begin floor debate on the Laken Riley Act because I believe the people of Georgia want their lawmakers in Washington to address the issues in this legislation,” Warnock said in a statement.
Schumer also made it known Thursday that he would be voting for pushing the Laken Riley Act into the next stage of the legislative process.
Several of the Senate Democrats who voted to advance the Laken Riley Act represent swing states President-elect Donald Trump won in November, a reflection of the shifting political tide on immigration.
House lawmakers similarly voted along bipartisan lines to pass the Laken Riley Act earlier this week to kick off the new Congress. A total of 48 Democrats joined all their Republican counterparts in supporting it, an increase from the 37 Democrats who backed the bill when it first came to a vote last Congress.
Representative Mike Collins (R., Ga.), who represents the area where Riley was murdered, originally introduced the House version of the bill.
“An illegal criminal came into my district and killed Laken Riley because our local law enforcement did not have the tools to stop him,” Collins said.
“Laken fought until her last breath, and so will I until this bill crosses the finish line and lands on Trump’s desk.”
Trump has promised to oversee mass deportations and strongly restrict the flow of illegal immigrants when he returns to power in less than two weeks time. His position on illegal immigration is close to where public opinion was on the issue during the presidential campaign in response to the record levels of southern border crossings under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Venezuelan illegal immigrant Jose Antonio Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison in November for ruthlessly slaying Riley last year while she jogged around the University of Georgia’s campus. Riley’s death received national attention and sparked debate about the Biden administration’s lax approach to illegal migration.
Ibarra crossed the southern border illegally in September 2022, but was paroled into the U.S. and flown to New York City on the taxpayer’s dime. He was later arrested in New York City for acting in a manner to injure a minor but police released him before he could be detained by immigration authorities, in keeping with New York City policy.