The U.S. Senate passed the Laken Riley Act by a 64-35 margin on Monday, advancing a key item on the Trump administration agenda on Day 1 of his second term in the White House.
The bill was named for Laken Riley, a nursing student attending Augusta University in Georgia, who was killed last February by an immigrant who was illegally in the U.S.
Riley’s death was made a campaign issue in the 2024 presidential race.
Venezuelan national Jose Antonio Ibarra was indicted on murder charges. He also came to symbolize a slow-moving deportation process blamed for allowing him opportunity to murder an American woman.
The New York Times reported in early 2024 that federal authorities arrested Ibarra after he crossed the border in 2022 but released him. He received a minor citation for operating a scooter without a license in New York and later for shoplifting in Georgia four months after Riley’s death.
In a December poll, the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that approximately 50 percent of American adults identify immigration as their top issue, an increase of approximately 1/3 from 2023’s poll.
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois expressed opposition to the bill on social media because deporting an immigrant for felony crimes is already legal.
“Today’s bill would have made it deportable not to be ‘convicted’ of a felony but simply to have been charged with a felony. That completely eliminates due process. If you overstay your visa, should you be deportable simply because your ex accused you of a crime?” Casten wrote.
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia voted to support the legislation.
“The loss of Laken Riley was a heartbreaking reminder of the need to strike a balance between keeping our communities safe and ensuring that our immigration system is both humane and effective. My thoughts are with Laken’s family, and I hope this action helps provide a measure of justice and accountability in the wake of such a senseless tragedy,” Warner said in a statement today.
However, Warner also said that the legislation is not perfect and requires amendments for improvement. He supports streamlining the enforcement mechanisms in the bill and targeting the most dangerous criminals.
“As we work to improve our immigration system, I remain committed to finding common ground that holds criminals accountable while protecting the ideals that define us as a nation – a country of fairness, compassion and justice. America – and Virginia – have been made stronger by many immigrants, and I will continue to hold the administration answerable for executing all the laws faithfully and fairly, in accordance with our values and the Constitution,” Warner said.
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Rebecca Barnabi
