As the inauguration day of President-elect Donald Trump approaches, Congressional Republicans are eager to present him with an immigration bill for his signature.
The bill, known as the Laken Riley Act, is named after a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia who was tragically murdered by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela. The legislation is poised to be the first to be passed by the 119th Congress.
According to RedState, the Laken Riley Act was initially passed by the House in 2024 with bipartisan support, but was subsequently blocked by the Democrat-controlled Senate. The bill is scheduled for a vote by the new Congress on Tuesday. The legislation aims to offer a degree of protection to Americans by detaining illegal immigrants who commit non-violent crimes.
The Laken Riley Act mandates the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain non-U.S. nationals who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting under federal law. The bill also empowers states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement.
The DHS is required to detain an individual who is unlawfully present in the United States or did not possess the necessary documents when applying for admission, and has been charged with, arrested for, convicted for, or admits to having committed acts that constitute the essential elements of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.
The bill's supporters argue that had it been in effect last year, Laken Riley would still be alive. The man convicted of her murder had previously been arrested for child endangerment and shoplifting, and would have been in custody and not free to prey on young women like Laken Riley.
"I'd love to have [the Laken Riley Act] sitting right there on President Trump's desk on the 20th when he sits down," said Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), the original sponsor of the bill, expressing confidence that it will once again be passed with bipartisan House support.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) confirmed that the House will be voting on the legislation, reminding Americans that former President Joe Biden once apologized for calling Laken Riley's killer an "illegal," but never apologized to Lakens family for allowing her killer into the country.
Once the bill passes the House, it will proceed to the Senate for a vote. The Senate, previously led by Chuck Schumer, blocked the bill from being voted on in March of 2024. However, the new Senate majority leader, Sen. John Thune (R-SD), plans to hold a vote this Friday.
The bill received a significant boost when Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) signed on as a co-sponsor, becoming the first Democrat to do so. This development has increased pressure on other Senate Democrats. Despite reports suggesting that the bill lacks sufficient Democrat support to overcome a 60-vote filibuster, Fetterman's support has certainly changed the dynamics. Democrats Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), both former House members now in the Senate, previously voted for the legislation.
As the Laken Riley Act heads to the Senate, attention is focused on Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), who is up for reelection in 2026 and represents the state where the crime occurred. A lack of public comment from Ossoff on the murder of Laken Riley suggests he may not support the bill. It's worth noting that President-elect Donald Trump won Georgia by over two percentage points, indicating a conservative leaning amongst the electorate.
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