The first major legislative action of President Donald Trump’s term sets a bold tone for immigration policy reform.
The U.S. Senate has passed the Laken Riley Act, moving President Donald Trump closer to signing a significant immigration-related bill into law. This marks the first major legislative step taken by the GOP-controlled Senate, spotlighting immigration as a critical issue under the new administration.
The bill passed with bipartisan support, receiving a 64-35 vote that included every Republican senator and 12 Democrats. This strong backing underscores the elevated focus on immigration, which proved to be a defining issue for Republicans during the November elections.
The Laken Riley Act requires the federal detention of undocumented immigrants accused of theft, burglary, and certain violent crimes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) hailed the legislation as essential to public safety.
“This legislation will ensure that illegal aliens who steal or assault a law enforcement officer are detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement instead of being allowed out on the streets,” Thune said before the vote. “I’m looking forward to getting this legislation to the president’s desk.”
The bill is named after Laken Riley, a college student from Athens, Georgia, who was tragically murdered nearly a year ago by a Venezuelan immigrant released following a prior shoplifting arrest.
An amendment known as Sarah’s Law, sponsored by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), was also approved with a 75-24 vote. This amendment expands the bill’s scope to include mandatory detention of undocumented individuals accused of crimes resulting in death or serious bodily harm. Named after Sarah Root, who was killed in 2016 in a car accident caused by an undocumented immigrant who fled after posting bail, Sarah’s Law garnered significant bipartisan support.
However, the bill sparked heated opposition from Senate Democrats, who raised concerns about its provisions. Critics pointed to a clause allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain individuals upon arrest rather than after conviction. They also highlighted the Department of Homeland Security’s projection of $27 billion in first-year implementation costs and the expanded authority granted to state attorneys general to sue federal immigration officials over detention decisions.
A Democratic amendment aimed at removing the state attorney general lawsuit provision failed to pass. Financial and logistical challenges, including ICE’s already limited resources, were central to the opposition’s arguments.
Despite these objections, several Democratic senators from battleground states broke ranks, reflecting internal party divides. Among them were John Fetterman (Pa.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Mark Kelly (Ariz.), and Raphael Warnock (Ga.), whose support weakened Democratic leadership’s bargaining power.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) captured the broader political dilemma for Democrats, stating:
“I’ve spent a lot of energy trying to show how Democrats care deeply about border security. I just think we’ve got to be engaged in a collective exercise to prove to the American people that we care more about border security than they do — but do that on our terms, not their terms.”
The Laken Riley Act builds on years of Republican criticism of the Biden administration’s immigration policies and handling of border security. While Democrats have sought bipartisan solutions, these efforts have struggled to influence public opinion or produce significant policy changes.
The legislation now heads to reconciliation with a slightly different version passed by the House of Representatives. The outcome will determine whether this bill becomes law, potentially signaling a major shift in U.S. immigration policy.
