The House on Wednesday approved the final version of the Laken Riley Act. The measure will now head to President Donald Trump’s desk, where it will become the first bill he signs into law in his second term.
The House voted 263–156 to pass the bill, with 46 Democrats joining their Republican colleagues in supporting the legislation that will require federal agents to detain illegal immigrants arrested for theft and other related crimes until they are deported.
President Trump is expected to sign the legislation shortly, delivering him another victory in his fight to dramatically curtail illegal immigration and to hold accountable illegal aliens who have committed crimes. Democratic support for the Laken Riley Act in the House and Senate reflects the broader shift in public opinion towards Trump’s deportation plan and broader measures to fortify the southern border.
Senator Katie Britt (R., Ala.) spearheaded the push for the Laken Riley Act on the Senate side, while Representative Mike Collins (R., Ga.) led the House GOP’s effort to get the legislation through. Collins represents the location where Venezuelan illegal immigrant Jose Antonio Ibarra brutally murdered nursing student Laken Riley last February when she was jogging around the University of Georgia’s campus in Athens.
Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison this past November without the possibility of parole for kidnapping, assaulting, and ultimately killing Riley. Before committing the bloodthirsty act, Ibarra was arrested in New York in summer 2023 for acting in a manner to injure a child but police released him before federal agents could issue a detainer.
“At long last, the Laken Riley Act is on its way to the White House to be signed into law by President Trump,” Collins said in a statement. “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.”
Twelve Senate Democrats joined their Republican counterparts in passing a slightly amended version of the Laken Riley Act on Monday, ensuring the Senate had the votes necessary to overcome the filibuster. Most of the Senate Democrats who voted for the Laken Riley bill represent swing states that Trump won this November on his way to a decisive victory over former vice president Kamala Harris.
On day one, Trump signed executive actions declaring the southern border a national emergency, sending the military to assist immigration and customs enforcement, suspending refugee resettlement programs, authorizing mass deportations, and ending birthright citizenship for the children of illegal migrants, a move that will face significant legal challenges.
The Trump administration has already begun carrying out mass deportations with a focus on violent criminals and national security threats, border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday. Homan also said there were 766 apprehensions at the border in the 24 hours since Trump took office, a dramatic change from the Biden administration’s soft approach to border enforcement.