Shocker: Majority of Senate Dems Join with GOP in Vote to Advance ‘Laken Riley Act’
The Laken Riley Act, designed to enhance measures against illegal immigrants committing crimes in the U.S., has advanced in the Senate with significant bipartisan support. On Thursday, a cloture vote resulted in 84 in favor and only nine opposed, allowing the bill to proceed to a potential vote as early as next week. The legislation is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia who was murdered by an illegal immigrant.
The bill requires that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detain illegal aliens charged with theft-related crimes and allows state attorneys general to sue the Secretary of Homeland Security if harmful immigration policies affect their states. Notably, it received support from several Democrats, including co-sponsors John Fetterman and Ruben gallego, despite some opposition from others in the party. The House had previously passed the bill with a significant majority.
The support for the Laken Riley act suggests a strong inclination among lawmakers to address border-related issues following incidents of crime involving illegal immigrants, emphasizing the need for law enforcement action.
Senate Democrats joined with Republicans to overwhelmingly advance the Laken Riley Act on Thursday.
The cloture vote was 84 in favor, nine opposed, with six senators not voting on the legislation designed to crack down on illegal immigrants who engage in criminal conduct while in the United States.
The vote to end debate, known as cloture, requires 60 senators to succeed.
The actual vote on the legislation itself could come as early as next week, according to Politico. Just because senators vote to end debate, does not mean they will vote to pass the bill.
However, only a majority vote will be required at that time, meaning the measure looks like it will easily pass.
The bill is named for the 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was brutally murdered by an illegal immigrant while out for a jog in Athens in February of last year.
Multiple Democrats have already come out in support of the legislation, including John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Ruben Gallego of Arizona, both of whom actually co-sponsored it, along with over 50 Republicans. GOP Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama introduced the bill in the Senate.
Not only am I voting yes on the Laken Riley Act, I’m cosponsoring the bill.
Arizonans know better than most the real consequences of today’s border crisis. We must give law enforcement the means to take action to prevent tragedies like what occurred to Laken Riley.
— Ruben Gallego (@SenRubenGallego) January 8, 2025
Appearing with Britt on Wednesday on Fox News, Fetterman said, “If you’re here illegally and you’re committing crimes … I don’t know why anybody thinks that it’s controversial, that they all need to go.”
“There’s 47 of us in the Senate, and if we can’t pull up with seven votes [for cloture], if we can’t get at least seven of 47 … that’s the reason why we lost. That’s one of them,” he added.
NEW: John Fetterman says if Democrats can’t get 7 votes in the Senate to pass the Laken Riley Act, then “that’s the reason why we lost.”
“If you’re here illegally and you’re committing crimes, I don’t know why anybody thinks that it’s controversial, that they all need to go.” pic.twitter.com/e0tDEK72uO
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) January 8, 2025
GOP Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia, who introduced the Laken Riley Act in the House, said in a Wednesday news release the act will do two things.
First, “It would amend federal law to require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers and take custody of illegal aliens who commit theft-related crimes, such as shoplifting, as defined by state and local law.”
Second, “It allows state attorneys general to sue the Secretary of Homeland Security for injunctive relief if immigration actions such as parole, violation of detention requirements, or other policy failures harm that state or its citizens.”
Venezuelan Jose Ibarra, who was convicted in November of murdering Riley, had previously been cited for shoplifting by the Athens Police Department, but ICE was not informed.
BREAKING: 9 Democrats just voted against advancing the Laken Riley Act which would require law enforcement to detain illegals who commit theft-related crimes.
Corey Booker
Mazie Hirono
Andy Kim
Elizabeth Warren
Ed Markey
Jeff Merkley
Bernie Sanders
Tina Smith
Brian SchatzWhy… pic.twitter.com/HDWHMAyFIG
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 9, 2025
The Laken Riley Act passed the House on Tuesday, 264 to 159, with 11 not voting. Forty-eight Democrats, not quite one-quarter of the total caucus, joined with Republicans to approve the bill.
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