The GOP-controlled House took a bold first step with the passage of the Laken Riley Act, aimed squarely at addressing crimes committed by illegal immigrants. Named after a young Georgia nursing student whose life was tragically cut short by an illegal immigrant, the bill passed with bipartisan support—every Republican and 48 Democrats voting in favor. A handful of lawmakers on both sides chose to sit this one out, but the message was clear: the new GOP majority isn’t wasting time tackling what they see as glaring failures in immigration enforcement.
The act, designated as HR 29, requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal immigrants involved in theft-related crimes and empowers states to sue federal officials who fail to enforce immigration laws. Representative Addison McDowell, a freshman lawmaker from North Carolina, wasted no time declaring his support. Framing it as a necessary response to the Biden administration’s so-called border crisis, McDowell promised change with the incoming Trump administration, warning, “There’s a new sheriff in town.”
Georgia Representative Mike Collins, who authored the legislation, invoked the memory of Laken Riley as he urged colleagues to support the bill. Riley’s murder has become a rallying cry for stricter immigration enforcement, with her family expressing hope that the legislation would prevent others from enduring similar tragedies. Collins pointed to the growing list of American lives lost to crimes committed by illegal immigrants as evidence of a systemic failure under the Biden administration, calling for immediate action to restore order and security.
Now heading to the Republican-controlled Senate, the Laken Riley Act appears well-positioned to pass. Senators Katie Britt and Ted Budd are championing the bill, joined by one lone Democrat, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, as a cosponsor. Yet, not all lawmakers are on board. Representative Jerry Nadler, for instance, labeled the legislation as overly harsh, claiming it targets individuals for mere theft charges. Conveniently, Nadler sidestepped the fact that crossing the border illegally is, in itself, a crime—a detail that supporters of the act are quick to emphasize.
The case of Jose Antonio Ibarra, the man convicted of murdering Riley, underscores the stakes. A Venezuelan illegal immigrant with a criminal record, Ibarra entered the U.S. in 2022 and was arrested in New York the following year for child endangerment, only to be released before ICE could intervene. He later moved to Georgia, where he kidnapped and murdered Riley while she was jogging near the University of Georgia. His conviction on multiple charges, including murder and kidnapping, resulted in a life sentence without parole. For advocates of the Laken Riley Act, Ibarra’s story is a chilling example of what happens when immigration laws are ignored, and a call to action to prevent future tragedies.
