Washington — On Wednesday, the House approved the Laken Riley Act, signing off on Senate changes to the legislation aimed at expanding the federal government’s authority to detain illegal immigrants.
The House approved the legislation by a vote of 263 to 156. It now heads to President Trump’s desk, where it is expected to be the first piece of legislation he signs during his new term.
The bill is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student killed by an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant last year.
It would broaden mandatory detention to include noncitizens convicted or charged with burglary, larceny, theft, or shoplifting, as well as those who admit to committing those crimes.
The legislation also includes a provision allowing state attorneys general to sue the federal government if they believe immigration policies have harmed their states or residents.
“This legislation would simply say that we have to detain some of the worst people who are here illegally,” Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas stated on the House floor Wednesday.
Some Democrats spent the floor debate leading up to the vote focusing on the pardons granted by President Trump to people convicted of participating in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, arguing that Republicans who supported the pardons were hypocritical in pushing this bill.
“These are the people who want you to believe, want us to believe, that they are keeping violent criminals off the streets,” New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated.
Earlier this month, the House approved a version of the legislation by a vote of 264 to 159, with 48 Democrats joining Republicans. It then moved to the Senate, where an amended version was approved with bipartisan support on Monday.
The Senate amended the legislation to include assault on a law enforcement officer and crimes resulting in the death “or serious bodily injury of another person” as grounds for mandatory detention.
Democrats had also hoped to make additional changes to the legislation, including protecting DACA recipients and eliminating the provision that empowers state attorneys general. Nonetheless, 12 Senate Democrats eventually supported the legislation, allowing it to pass.
The Democrats’ support comes after the measure was stalled in the Democratic-controlled Senate last year, after being approved by the House first.
Following the 2024 election, in which immigration was a major issue, Democrats appear to be more willing to engage on the issue in the new Congress.
Nonetheless, the legislation has raised concerns among some Democrats, including whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement can fully enforce the new mandate without additional funding.