WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Jan. 29, President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into legislation as the primary piece of laws signed in his second time period.
The invoice was proposed by U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, who represents the tenth congressional district of Georgia, which incorporates components of Newton County. The district additionally contains town of Athens the place 22-year-old Laken Riley was murdered.
Riley, a nursing scholar enrolled at Augusta College, was operating on the College of Georgia’s campus when unlawful alien Jose Ibarra attacked and killed her. Ibarra is now serving a life sentence with out parole for Riley’s homicide.
The invoice handed 236-156 within the Home of Representatives and 64-35 within the Senate. Its passage was spearheaded largely by Republicans, however reportedly 58 Democrats throughout the legislature joined in supporting the invoice. The invoice didn’t move in 2024 however was reintroduced to Congress this previous month the place it handed efficiently.
“With at the moment’s motion, her [Riley’s] identify will even stay perpetually within the legal guidelines of our nation,” stated Trump earlier than signing the invoice. “And this can be a crucial legislation. That is one thing that has introduced Democrats and Republicans collectively. That is not straightforward to do.”
Ibarra, a Venezuelan man, reportedly entered america illegally in September 2022 in Texas, the place he first was arrested on costs of unlawful entry. Between then and Riley’s homicide, Ibarra was arrested by New York police and later cited with a shoplifting misdemeanor in Athens.
At neither level was he deported, however below the Laken Riley Act, Ibarra would have been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The invoice, now enshrined in legislation, requires the Division of Homeland Safety to detain unlawful aliens who commit theft, housebreaking, larceny, shoplifting, assault in opposition to law enforcement officials and crimes that lead to critical bodily hurt or dying and expedite them to their residence nations.
“Underneath this invoice, DHS should detain a person who (1) is unlawfully current in america or didn’t possess the mandatory paperwork when making use of for admission; and (2) has been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admits to having dedicated acts that represent the important components of housebreaking, theft, larceny, or shoplifting,” the invoice’s abstract reads.
The invoice will even permit states to sue the federal authorities for “alleged failures associated to immigration enforcement.”
Collins commented on the invoice’s passage through a information launch despatched out from his workplace.
“Practically one yr in the past, Laken Riley’s life was taken by a profession felony unlawful alien. At the moment, with the total help of President Trump, a bicameral group of Republicans and Democrats, and the American folks, we had been lastly in a position to carry justice to Laken’s household and be certain that this may by no means occur once more. I’m past grateful to President Trump for making the Laken Riley Act the primary legislation signed below his presidency and eventually giving closure to Laken’s household. We’re dedicated to delivering commonsense options to repair our damaged immigration system, and the Laken Riley Act delivers it.”
Georgia Home Speaker Jon Burns additionally commented on the passage through Collins’ information launch.
“The American folks delivered a mandate to Washington to crack down on unlawful immigration and maintain our residents protected,” Burns stated. “President Trump is delivering on his guarantees, and right here in Georgia—we stand able to help his administration of their efforts each step of the way in which.”
