Laken Riley Act: House passes first bill of new Congress to detain migrants for theft crimes
The U.S. House of Representatives passed its first bill of the new Congress Tuesday, which would require federal immigration authorities to detain illegal migrants charged with theft-related crimes.
Named after the 22-year-old Georgia nursing student murdered by an illegal immigrant last February, The Laken Riley Act passed the lower chamber in a 264 to 159 vote, with 48 Democrats crossing the aisle to vote with Republicans in support of the bill.
The next step is to send the legislation to the Republican-led Senate, which will take up the measure on Friday.
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If passed, the bill would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to detain illegal immigrants charged with burglary, theft, larceny or shoplifting.
In addition, the bill would authorize state attorneys general or state officers to sue the secretary of Homeland Security for injunctive relief for harm caused to citizens by illegal migrants.
Democratic Sen. Jon Fetterman of Pennsylvania has indicated that he will support the legislation. This is not the first time that the senator has crossed party lines, as he previously distinguished himself from some of the Democratic Party's more far-left voices with his outspoken support for Israel.
"Laken Riley's story is a tragic reminder of what's at stake when our systems fail to protect people. No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence," Fetterman told CNN in a statement.
"Immigration is what makes our country great," he added. "I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system."
The House's passage of the Laken Riley Act follows promises from Republican lawmakers and leadership to tighten border security and crackdown on illegal immigration.
Republican lawmakers have accused the Biden-Harris administration of allowing criminal immigrants into the country, blaiming the administration's policies for Riley's death.
Republican Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia, who reintroduced the Laken Riley Act for the 119th Congress, believes that the legislation is necessary to protect communities from illegal aliens who have a history of criminal behavior.
"The Laken Riley Act gives our law enforcement the tools they need to protect their communities and ensure that no more innocent lives are lost to a broken immigration and criminal justice system," Collins said in a statement before the bill's passage in the House.
Jose Antonio Ibarra, the illegal immigrant sentenced to life in prison for murdering Riley in February 2024, entered the U.S. illegally in 2022. Prior to murdering the nursing student, Ibarra and his brother, Diego, were charged with shoplifting from Walmart in October 2022.
In August 2023, Ibarra was charged with causing injury to a child and a driving violation. However, he was released before ICE could request that police detain him for immigration authorities.
As special prosecutor Sheila Ross stated during a bench trial in November, Ibarra went "hunting" for women on Feb. 22, when he encountered Riley during a morning jog.
"When Laken Riley refused to be his rape victim, he bashed her skull in with a rock repeatedly," Ross said during opening statements at trial. "That is what this case is all about."
At the conclusion of the trial, Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard sentenced Ibarra to the maximum possible punishments for multiple charges, including kidnapping, aggravated assault with intent to rape, obstruction of a 911 call, tampering with evidence and a peeping tom charge.
The judge ordered that the defendant serve each sentence consecutively, condemning Ibarra to two life sentences and 27 years in prison.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
