House passes Laken Riley Act, a bill to increase immigrant detention

The House passed the Laken Riley Act on a bipartisan basis on Tuesday, Jan. 7, after 48 Democrats voted yea, bucking party leadership. The bill would require immigrants to be held in detention if they are charged, arrested or convicted of a burglary, theft or shoplifting offense.

Even if the criminal case is adjudicated, the individual would remain in custody while their immigration case proceeds.

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“Right now ICE is unable to detain and deport these illegal criminals who commit these minor level crimes. But the Laken Riley Act will fix this,” Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., said. 

Laken Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an immigrant in the country illegally. She was attacked while going for a run.

The Venezuelan man was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. He had previously been arrested on shoplifting charges and released.

Collins sponsored the bill and represents the town where Riley lived. 

“This legislation could have prevented her death. Her murderer was in our country illegally, was a known criminal, he had abused a child in New York City, was flown to Athens, Georgia, a sanctuary city, and all of this on the taxpayers dime,” Collins said. “Every part of our system failed Laken that day.”

Democratic leadership opposed the Laken Riley Act, and told their members to vote against it.

They objected to the bill applying to immigrants who are protected from deportation, like DACA recipients, and that it only requires an arrest for detainment, not a conviction.

Democrats accused Republicans of using Riley’s death for political gain.

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“This bill does nothing to fix the immigration system or to prevent future tragedies like this,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said. “It is simply an attempt to score cheap political points off of a tragic death. And in the process it unfairly sweeps up many more innocent lives with no due process.”

The bill now heads to the Senate, where it needs 60 votes for approval. All 53 Republicans and multiple Democrats announced they’ll vote yes, though it is not yet clear if that will be enough for it to pass.