The GOP-led House of Representatives took a decisive step on Tuesday, passing the Laken Riley Act, a bill aimed at cracking down on criminal illegal aliens. Named after a Georgia nursing student tragically murdered by an illegal immigrant, the act garnered bipartisan support, with every Republican present and 48 Democrats voting in favor. However, a handful of lawmakers from both parties chose not to participate. The bill, known as HR 29, is the first legislation introduced by the 119th Congress, setting a strong tone for the GOP’s priorities under its new majority.
The bill seeks to compel Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest and detain illegal aliens who commit theft-related crimes while granting states the authority to sue federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration laws. Representative Addison McDowell of North Carolina, a freshman lawmaker, wasted no time making his stance clear, calling the legislation a crucial step in reversing the border crisis he attributes to the Biden administration. “There will be a new sheriff in town,” McDowell remarked, expressing optimism about President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration and pledging to support tougher immigration policies.
The legislation was authored by Georgia Representative Mike Collins, who emphasized the devastating loss of Laken Riley while urging his colleagues to take action. Riley’s family, through a statement read on the House floor, expressed hope that the bill would prevent similar tragedies. According to Collins, Riley’s death is one of many preventable crimes linked to illegal immigration under the Biden administration’s tenure. The murder of the 22-year-old nursing student became a rallying cry for conservatives advocating stricter immigration enforcement.
The bill is now heading to the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority, increasing its chances of passage. Senators Katie Britt of Alabama and Ted Budd of North Carolina are leading the charge, with only one Democrat, Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, joining as a cosponsor. The contrast between bipartisan support in the House and the vocal opposition from figures like Representative Jerry Nadler highlights the ongoing divide over immigration policy. Nadler decried the bill as draconian, arguing that it unfairly targets individuals charged with theft, while sidestepping the fact that crossing the border illegally is itself a criminal act.
Riley’s murderer, Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, had a history of legal troubles. After entering the U.S. illegally in 2022, he was arrested in New York for child endangerment in 2023 but released before ICE could intervene. He later relocated to Georgia, where he brutally murdered Riley while she was jogging near her alma mater, the University of Georgia. Ibarra was convicted on multiple charges, including murder, aggravated assault, and kidnapping, and was sentenced to life without parole. For supporters of the Laken Riley Act, his case serves as a grim reminder of the cost of lax immigration enforcement—a cost they are determined to address with this legislation.
