The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill targeting undocumented immigrants for deportation if they are charged with nonviolent crimes, such as shoplifting.
The Laken Riley Act passed with a 264-159 vote, gaining bipartisan support as 48 Democrats joined Republicans in favor of the measure. It now heads to the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-seat majority and need seven Democratic votes to pass the legislation.
Named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Augusta University in Georgia who was tragically killed in 2024, the bill underscores a commitment to stricter immigration enforcement.
Riley’s death became a rallying cry for proponents of the legislation after her killer, José Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan immigrant who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Months before the murder, Ibarra had been arrested for shoplifting but was released.
“This is about protecting innocent Americans,” stated Senator John Cornyn of Texas, a vocal supporter of the bill. “The death of Laken Riley was a senseless tragedy, and we owe it to her to ensure that undocumented immigrants who commit crimes are never given the opportunity to harm our communities.”
The legislation seeks to broaden the deportation scope by mandating that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detain undocumented immigrants charged with lesser crimes, including burglary, theft, and larceny.
Additionally, state attorneys general would gain the authority to sue the federal government if it releases an undocumented immigrant who later commits further offenses.
While proponents argue the bill enhances public safety, critics claim it exploits a tragedy to push a political agenda.
Kerri Talbot, co-executive director of the Immigration Hub, labeled the measure “an anti-immigrant proposal disguised as a public safety measure” and accused lawmakers of using the justice system to disproportionately target immigrants for minor infractions.
Riley’s case has fueled conservative lawmakers’ efforts to adopt more stringent immigration laws.
Support for the bill among Democrats has grown, with an increase from 37 Democratic votes last year to 48 in the latest vote.
Analysts attribute this shift to growing alignment with President-elect Donald Trump’s immigration agenda, which emphasizes mass deportations of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.
If passed in the Senate, the Laken Riley Act would represent a major victory for advocates of tougher immigration enforcement. As the legislation progresses, the debate over balancing public safety with fair immigration policies is expected to intensify.