President Donald Trump is set to sign his first immigration bill, which aims to simplify the process for federal immigration officials to detain and deport individuals without legal status who have been charged with crimes, ranging from minor theft to assault on law enforcement.
The bill, called the Laken Riley Act, passed in the House with a vote of 263-156, garnering support from 46 Democrats. The vote represents a significant change for many within the party, as Democrats had largely opposed the measure at different points last year. However, the political landscape surrounding the bill shifted following the election. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) had pledged that the Congress would move quickly on passage of the measure.
The Laken Riley Act highlights a renewed emphasis in Washington on immigration and border security following Trump’s focus on these issues during his successful presidential campaign, NPR reported. The legislation requires federal immigration enforcement to detain and deport individuals without legal status who are charged with minor theft or shoplifting. Representative Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Iowa, expressed support for the bill in a speech on the floor prior to the vote.
“I look forward to President Trump signing this bill into law to let immigrants who break our laws are held accountable for their crimes. This must be done,” Feenstra said. The Senate passed the measure 64-35 last week, and also added an amendment that expands the measure to include crimes causing death or serious bodily injury, or the assault of a law enforcement officer.
Some criminal offenses can already be grounds for deportation. However, critics of this measure argue that the proposal bypasses the current practice of waiting for a conviction before initiating the removal process. That said, Republicans countered that anyone who crosses illegally into the United States has already committed a crime.
The bill is named after a Georgia nursing student who was killed last year by a Venezuelan man living illegally in the U.S. Her death became a rallying point for Republicans to criticize the Biden administration’s approach to border security. The man, José Ibarra, was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He had previously been charged with shoplifting in New York. Republicans argue that this law would have allowed for his earlier deportation and could have prevented Riley’s murder.
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