The Laken Riley Act was passed by the Senate just hours after Donald Trump took office as the 47th president of the United States. This new law will let U.S. officials detain illegal immigrants who are caught stealing. It’s named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia who was tragically murdered by Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant.
The Senators voted 64 to 35 to approve the law, with 12 Democrats joining Republicans to support it. The bill will now go back to the House of Representatives, which will need to vote on the changes made in the Senate. Experts think the House will pass it.
According to Congress.gov, the Laken Riley Act requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain certain non-U.S. citizens who have been arrested for theft-related crimes like burglary, larceny, or shoplifting. The bill also gives states the power to sue the federal government regarding immigration enforcement issues.
DHS will have to detain anyone who is in the U.S. illegally and has been arrested or charged with theft or similar crimes.
President Trump has said that border security will be one of his main focuses. In his inaugural speech, he declared, “I will announce a national emergency at our southern border. We will hold people who enter illegally and start sending back millions of criminals. I will bring back my ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy, end catch and release, and send troops to the border to protect our country from invasion.”
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