Congress passes Laken Riley Act with bipartisan support

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Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Joey Nunez (Video Editor)

Congress passed the first bill of its new session on Wednesday, Jan. 22, and President Donald Trump is expected to sign the legislation into law. The Laken Riley Act passed Congress with bipartisan support.

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The bill, named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by an undocumented migrant in February 2024, will require immigrants who are in the country illegally and arrested for certain nonviolent offenses –– like burglary, theft, larceny or shoplifting –– to be detained in jail until trial.

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The bill also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government if immigration policies harm residents.

The House passed the act earlier this month by a vote of 263 to 156. 46 Democratic representatives voted in favor of the bill.

The Senate passed the bill with amendments on Monday, Jan. 20, as 12 Democratic senators crossed the political aisle to support it. The House then passed the revised version on Wednesday.

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., voted to pass the Laken Riley Act, though he said in a statement that the bill “isn’t the legislation I would have written.” Nevertheless, Warnock added, “I hope today’s vote is a genuine step toward true bipartisan cooperation to secure and strengthen resources at our southern border, smooth our asylum processes, and find a dignified solution for the scores of law-abiding undocumented Georgians working on our farms and in our communities.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did not vote in favor of the bill. He released remarks last week on the matter, saying in part: “We Democrats want to see our broken immigration system fixed. We worked with Republicans last year on the strongest immigration bill in a decade. While I do not support this particular bill, I stand ready to work with both sides to pass smart, effective, and common-sense legislation to secure our borders and reform our immigration system.”

Laken Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student attending Augusta University in Georgia. Last February, when she went out for a jog, Jose Ibarra murdered her. Ibarra is a Venezuelan migrant believed to have ties to the notorious prison gang Tren de Aragua.

Authorities arrested Ibarra twice –– once in New York and once in Georgia –– on unrelated crimes in the months leading up to Riley’s murder. Authorities released him before trial.

In December 2023, a warrant was issued for Ibarra’s arrest after he missed a court date for a shoplifting case in Georgia.

House Republicans passed the Laken Riley Act last year. However, the Democratic-controlled Senate did not bring the bill to the floor for a vote.

Tags: Chuck Schumer, Donald Trump, Immigration, migrants, Raphael Warnock, U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate

CONGRESS PASSES ITS FIRST BILL OF THE NEW SESSION AND NEWLY SWORN-IN PRESIDENT TRUMP IS EXPECTED TO SIGN THE LEGISLATION INTO LAW.

THE LAKEN RILEY ACT PASSED CONGRESS WITH BI-PARTISAN SUPPORT.

THIS BILL, NAMED AFTER A GEORGIA NURSING STUDENT WHO WAS MURDERED BY AN UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANT IN FEBRUARY 2024, WILL REQUIRE UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR CERTAIN NONVIOLENT OFFENSES LIKE BURGLARY, THEFT, LARCENY, OR SHOPLIFTING TO BE DETAINED IN JAIL UNTIL TRIAL.

THE BILL ALSO ALLOWS STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL TO SUE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IF RESIDENTS ARE HARMED BY IMMIGRATION POLICIES.

THE HOUSE PASSED THE ACT EARLIER THIS MONTH BY A VOTE OF 263 TO 156 – WITH 46 DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVES VOTING IN FAVOR.

THE SENATE PASSED THE BILL WITH AMENDMENTS MONDAY WITH 12 DEMOCRATIC SENATORS CROSSING THE POLITICAL AISLE TO SUPPORT THE MEASURE.

THE HOUSE THEN PASSED THE REVISED VERSION WEDNESDAY.

GEORGIA DEMOCRATIC SENATOR RAPHAEL WARNOCK VOTED TO PASS THE LAKEN RILEY ACT SAYING IN A STATEMENT THE BILL WAS NOT WHAT HE WOULD HAVE WRITTEN ADDING: “I HOPE TODAY’S VOTE IS A GENUINE STEP TOWARD TRUE BIPARTISAN COOPERATION TO SECURE AND STRENGTHEN RESOURCES AT OUR SOUTHERN BORDER, SMOOTH OUR ASYLUM PROCESSES, AND FIND A DIGNIFIED SOLUTION FOR THE SCORES OF LAW-ABIDING UNDOCUMENTED GEORGIANS WORKING ON OUR FARMS AND IN OUR COMMUNITIES.”

SENATE MINORITY LEADER, CHUCK SHUMER DID NOT CAST A VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE BILL. HE RELEASED REMARKS LAST WEEK ON THE MATTER SAYING IN PART: “WE DEMOCRATS WANT TO SEE OUR BROKEN IMMIGRATION SYSTEM FIXED. WE WORKED WITH REPUBLICANS LAST YEAR ON THE STRONGEST IMMIGRATION BILL IN A DECADE. WHILE I DO NOT SUPPORT THIS PARTICULAR BILL, I STAND READY TO WORK WITH BOTH SIDES TO PASS SMART, EFFECTIVE, AND COMMON SENSE LEGISLATION TO SECURE OUR BORDERS AND REFORM OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM.”

LAKEN RILEY WAS A 22-YEAR-OLD NURSING STUDENT ATTENDING AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY IN GEORGIA LAST FEBRUARY WHEN SHE WENT FOR A JOG AND WAS MURDERED BY JOSE IBARRA, A VENEZUELAN MIGRANT BELIEVED TO HAVE TIES TO THE NOTORIOUS PRISON GANG, TREN DE ARAGUA.

IBARRA HAD BEEN ARRESTED TWICE – ONCE IN NEW YORK AND ONCE IN GEORGIA – ON UN-RELATED CRIMES IN THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO THE RILEY’S MURDER AND AUTHORITIES RELEASED HIM BEFORE TRIAL.

IN DECEMBER 2023, A WARRANT WAS ISSUED FOR IBARRA’S ARREST AFTER HE MISSED A COURT DATE FOR A SHOPLIFTING CASE IN GEORGIA.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS PASSED THE LAKEN RILEY ACT LAST YEAR, HOWEVER, THE DEMOCRATIC-CONTROLLED SENATE DID NOT BRING THE BILL TO THE FLOOR FOR A VOTE.