The House of Representatives passed the Laken Riley Act on Tuesday in a decisive 264-159 vote, requiring federal immigration authorities to detain illegal migrants who commit theft-related crimes in the United States.
The legislation, named in honor of University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was murdered by an illegal immigrant in 2024, marks a significant step in House Republicans’ efforts to address border security and illegal immigration.
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While every Republican lawmaker who voted supported the bill, nearly 160 Democrats opposed it, citing concerns about expanding ICE detention powers and potential impacts on migrants accused of theft-related crimes.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), seeks to prevent tragedies like Riley’s murder.
“An illegal criminal came into my district and killed Laken Riley because our law enforcement did not have the tools to stop him,” Collins said. “Laken fought until her last breath, and so will I until this bill crosses the finish line and lands on the President’s desk.”
The legislation was named for Riley, a University of Georgia student who was killed by Venezuelan national Jose Antonio Ibarra while jogging near her college campus in February 2024. Ibarra had a prior criminal record, including a shoplifting arrest in October 2022, but was released because the charge was a misdemeanor.
Under current law, ICE is not required to detain illegal migrants for minor offenses like shoplifting. The Laken Riley Act aims to close that loophole, mandating detention for such crimes to prevent future tragedies.
Speaker Mike Johnson underscored the importance of the bill, making it the first piece of legislation voted on during the 119th Congress. “There are real consequences to policy decisions, and this one was deadly,” Johnson said during a press conference.
The act reflects House Republicans’ broader commitment to cracking down on illegal immigration. “With Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, and the party of lawlessness out of the way, the radical left’s mission to enable criminal illegal aliens at the expense of law-abiding Americans is no longer going to be tolerated,” said Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN), the House Majority Whip.
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House Democrats, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), voiced strong opposition to the bill, arguing that it could lead to the unjust detention of migrants accused of minor crimes. Raskin called the legislation “an empty and opportunistic measure,” stating, “This is a radical departure from current law, which since 1996 has generally required mandatory detention only for persons criminally convicted of certain serious crimes.”
The Laken Riley Act has received strong backing from Riley’s family, who believe the legislation will save lives. “This bill’s passage will ensure that no other family has to endure the pain we’ve experienced,” Riley’s family said in a statement.
If passed by the Senate and signed into law by President-elect Donald Trump, the Laken Riley Act would give ICE greater authority to detain illegal immigrants who commit theft-related crimes, strengthening federal and local law enforcement’s ability to address public safety concerns tied to illegal immigration.
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