The Laken Riley Act, a historic immigration detention law named for a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by an undocumented immigrant in 2023, was enacted by the US House of Representatives on Wednesday. The bill, which was supported by both parties, aims to hold illegal people who have been prosecuted or convicted of nonviolent crimes like theft. Upon his return to the White House this week, President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law.
The bill passed in the House by a 263-156 vote, with 46 Democrats joining Republicans in favor. Earlier in the week, the Senate approved the legislation 64-35, with support from 12 Democrats, including Senators Gary Peters, Jon Ossoff, Jeanne Shaheen, and Mark Warner, who face re-election challenges in 2026.
The Act is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old jogger who was killed in Athens, Georgia, close to the University of Georgia campus. Last year, her murderer, Jose Ibarra, an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant, was found guilty of Riley’s kidnapping, assault, and murder and was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
During the 2024 presidential race, Republicans like Trump brought attention to the issue by pointing out that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had failed to detain Ibarra following a previous shoplifting conviction.
The Senate included two amendments to broaden the scope of the bill. One, introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), covers assaults on police officers, while another, proposed by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), addresses acts causing death or bodily harm.
After their crushing defeat in the 2024 elections, Democrats are now debating immigration policy in light of the bill’s passage. To show that they were serious about border security, a few Democrats from competitive districts backed the bill. Others, however, attacked it for being too expensive and unpleasant.
The bill’s supporters contend that it addresses voters’ concerns about immigration. Exit polls indicate that voters overwhelmingly favored Trump over Democratic opponent Kamala Harris on immigration, making it the fourth-highest priority in the 2024 elections.
Laken’s father, Jason Riley, spoke about the legislation and thanked the government for passing it, stating that it “helped change things politically.” He valued the legislative result even though he lamented the media attention his daughter’s passing received. “We’re very happy with the way things have turned out,” he stated.
