The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to pass the Laken Riley Act, a controversial bill mandating the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft-related crimes.
The move signals the Republican-led Congress’s commitment to delivering on President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign promises to crack down on illegal immigration.
Named after 22-year-old Laken Riley, who was murdered by a Venezuelan man wanted for shoplifting, the bill seeks to bolster pre-trial incarceration for foreign criminal suspects.
House Speaker Mike Johnson emphasized the bill as a crucial step toward securing the U.S. border.
“As promised, we’re starting today with border security. If you polled the populace and voters, they would tell you that that was the top of the list,” Johnson told reporters. “We have a lot to do there to fix it—it’s an absolute disaster because of what has happened over the last four years—and the Laken Riley Act is a big part of that.”
The legislation, previously passed by the House last year, stalled in the then-Democratic-controlled Senate. However, with Republicans now holding both chambers of Congress, the bill is expected to receive a Senate vote as early as Friday.
While the act garnered support from 48 House Democrats, it faced strong opposition from Democratic leadership. House Minority Whip Katherine Clark accused Republicans of exploiting a tragedy for political gains.
“The bill expands detentions without addressing funding shortfalls or the underlying systemic issues,” Clark’s office said in a statement.
Despite the criticism, Republican House Whip Tom Emmer championed the legislation as a return to “common-sense American values.”
President-elect Trump has promised sweeping immigration reforms, including mass deportations and stricter border controls. He has also appointed Tom Homan, a hardline immigration official, as his “border czar.”
Trump repeatedly referenced Riley’s case during his campaign, using it to argue that undocumented migrants pose a significant threat to American safety.
“This bill is more than just a piece of legislation,” Emmer said. “It’s a direct step toward ensuring that criminal illegal aliens are swiftly and permanently removed from our communities and our country.”
The bill’s fate now lies in the Senate, where it will need bipartisan support to pass. Despite co-sponsorship by centrist Democrat John Fetterman, a Democratic blockade remains a possibility.
If enacted, the Laken Riley Act would mark a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy, setting the stage for broader reforms under Trump’s incoming administration.