Although House Democrats overall voted against the Laken Riley Act, several Democrat senators have joined forces with Republicans in supporting the key immigration law.
The House officially passed the Laken Riley Act on Tuesday with the support of 216 Republicans and 48 Democrats. At the same time, 159 Democrats voted against the bill. The bill, named after the 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an illegal alien, would require the detention of illegal migrants who are charged with theft-related crimes.
‘We must give law enforcement the means to take action to prevent tragedies like what occurred to Laken Riley.’
Notably, the bill saw a boost of support compared to the previous Congress, when just 37 Democrats voted in favor of the bill. Not only was there an 11-vote increase among House Democrats in the 119th Congress, but there has also been some support among Senate Democrats.
Newly elected Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, who voted in favor of the bill when he served in the House, publicly committed to supporting the Laken Riley Act in the Senate.
“Not only am I voting yes on the Laken Riley Act, I’m cosponsoring the bill,” Gallego said in a Wednesday post on X. “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.”
‘Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people.’
Gallego’s freshman colleague, newly elected Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, also voted to pass the bill in the 118th Congress, breaking away from the party-line vote.
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who has frequently defected from his party, is also a co-sponsor of the bill, calling Laken Riley’s murder a case of “preventable violence.”
“Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people,” Fetterman said. “No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence. Immigration is what makes our country great. I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system.”
“ICE reported tens of thousands of migrants with criminal records — homicide or sexual assault,” Fetterman added. “425,000 have criminal records in total and should be deported. I support a secure border. I support a legal path for Dreamers. I support the Laken Riley Act.”
The Laken Riley Act passed the House in the 118th Congress, but the Democrat-controlled Senate never took up the legislation. This time around, the bill is likely to pass in the Republican-majority Senate with the help of Democratic defectors.
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John fetterman, Elissa slotkin, Ruben gallego, House democrats, House republicans, Senate democrats, Senate republicans, Laken riley, Border crisis, Migrant crime, Donald trump, Trump administration, Immigration, Politics
