WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the first bill of the 119th Congress, a measure to raise the number of migrants held in detention centers and is named after a Georgia nursing student whose murder of President-elect Donald Trump has been repeatedly linked to the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said during a press conference on Tuesday that “as promised, we start today with border security.”
“If you polled the population and voters, they would tell you this is the top issue on the agenda and we have a lot of work to do to fix it,” the Louisiana Republican said. “This is an absolute disaster because of what has happened over the last four years, and the Laken Riley Act is a big part of that.”
Riley, 22, was out running when her roommates became concerned when she didn’t come home. Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old immigrant from Venezuela, was convicted of murder last month. Ibarra allegedly entered the country illegally in 2022, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Bill, HR 29passed 264-159, with 48 Democrats joining the Republicans. The middle as well during the last Congress was adopted by the House on a bipartisan basiswith 37 Democrats voting with the GOP.
It stalled in the Senate when then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, failed to bring it to a vote.
Now that will probably change. Republicans, who currently control the Senate, are expected to introduce the bill this week. Alabama State Senator Katie Britt is the lead sponsor in that chamber of the House companion bill, P. 5.
The Senate version has already become bipartisan supportwith support from Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman.
Additionally, Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters said he would support the bill if it comes to a vote in the Senate.
“We need to make sure we are doing everything we can to secure the border and keep the people in our country safe,” he told States Newsroom.
If the bill passes the 60-vote threshold in the Senate, it will most likely be signed into law sometime after Trump’s inauguration on January 20. However, it is not yet clear how many Democrats will join Republicans in supporting her.
DHS arrest, AG lawsuits
Ibarra, the man convicted of Riley’s murder, had previously been arrested for riding a scooter without a license and shoplifting. The bill would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to detain all immigrants — even those with legal status — accused of local theft, burglary or shoplifting.
It would also allow a state’s attorney general to bring civil lawsuits against the federal government for violations of detention or removal proceedings “that harm such state or its inhabitants.”
Rep. Mike Collins, who sponsored the bill, represents the district where the Riley family lives.
“This legislation could have prevented her death,” the Georgia Republican said Tuesday. “We must ensure that this never happens again.”
During the debate, Collins read a statement from Riley’s family saying they supported the legislation.
“Laken would have been 23 years old on January 10,” Collins read in a statement. “There is no greater gift that can be given to her or our country than to continue her legacy by saving lives through this bill.”
“Empty and Opportunistic”
Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin criticized the measure and argued that if it were to go into effect, it would raise due process questions because it would require immigration detention based on the charges or arrest.
“Their bill today is an empty and opportunistic move,” Raskin said during Tuesday’s debate.
“This bill will upend the 28-year-old mandatory immigration detention policy by requiring that any illegal immigrant arrested for theft, theft or shoplifting be detained, even if they have never been convicted or even charged with a crime.”
Washington Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said the bill does not fix the U.S. immigration system.
“In the process, many more innocent people are being unlawfully killed without due process,” she said.
Jennifer Shutt contributed to this report.
Last updated at 15:54, January 7, 2025
