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Home News Laken Riley Act Becomes Law, Targets Immigrants with Certain Crimes

Laken Riley Act Becomes Law, Targets Immigrants with Certain Crimes

by Celia

President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law on Wednesday, marking the first legislative achievement of his second presidency. The act expands the scope of individuals who can be arrested, detained, and deported by federal immigration officers. It comes as Trump promises stricter enforcement of immigration laws and increased deterrents to illegal migration.

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The bill passed with bipartisan support, a significant shift for Democrats who did not advance the legislation in the Senate last year. Trump acknowledged this support in his remarks, thanking Democrats for helping to get the measure through. “It’s a landmark law that we are doing today. It will save countless innocent American lives,” Trump said.

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In attendance at the bill signing were Secretary for Homeland Security Kristi Noem, several Republican senators, and Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman, who was the first Democrat to cosponsor the bill in the Senate. Laken Riley’s parents and sister were also present. Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, thanked lawmakers and the president for pushing the bill through in her daughter’s name.

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The Laken Riley Act directs federal immigration enforcement to detain and deport individuals without legal status who are charged with minor theft or shoplifting, assault of a law enforcement officer, or crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury. Critics argue that the act departs from the current practice of waiting until someone is convicted before starting the deportation process.

The bill is named after Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student killed last year by a Venezuelan man in the US without legal status. Her death became a rallying point for Republicans criticizing the Biden administration’s border security policies. The man, José Ibarra, was later sentenced to life in prison without parole. Republicans argue that this law would have enabled his deportation earlier and could have prevented Riley’s murder.

Supporters of immigration point to research showing that immigrants commit fewer crimes than US-born individuals. However, implementing the Laken Riley Act may pose challenges for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), one of the agencies responsible for deportations. Earlier this month, ICE warned lawmakers that implementing the bill would be “impossible to execute with existing resources,” estimating a first-year cost of $26 billion for personnel, detention resources, transportation, and more. The agency also predicted needing additional officers and facing potential shortages of detention space.

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