The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the controversial Laken Riley Act, a bill that targets undocumented immigrants for deportation if they are charged with minor, nonviolent crimes such as shoplifting. The legislation, which passed with a 264-159 vote, now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
Named after 22-year-old Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student tragically killed in February 2024 by José Antonio Ibarra, an undocumented immigrant, the bill aims to expand deportation criteria to include individuals accused of lesser offenses. Ibarra, who was arrested on a shoplifting charge months before the killing, had been released despite his criminal charge. He was later convicted for Riley’s murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
U.S. Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who has supported the bill, emphasized the need for stricter immigration policies. “The death of Laken Riley was a senseless and preventable tragedy, and now that her murderer is behind bars, we owe it to Laken to do everything we can to ensure any migrant who enters the country illegally and commits a crime is never given the opportunity to harm innocent Americans,” Cornyn said in a statement.
While the bill has gained support from many Republicans and some Democrats, including Texas Democrats Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, it has drawn significant criticism. The legislation seeks to broaden the scope of deportation, requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain undocumented immigrants accused of crimes such as theft, burglary, and shoplifting. Additionally, the bill grants state attorneys general the power to sue federal authorities if an immigrant is released and later commits another crime.
Despite the push for stronger immigration laws, critics argue that the bill unfairly targets undocumented immigrants for minor offenses and contributes to the criminalization of immigrant communities. “This is political gamesmanship at its worst,” said Kerri Talbot, co-executive director of the Immigration Hub, a national organization advocating for fair immigration policies. “This bill weaponizes the justice system to incarcerate immigrants for minor infractions, empowers extremists to rewrite immigration policy, and tears apart families who have long called this country home.”
Supporters of the bill contend that it is necessary to protect public safety, but studies suggest that recent immigrants are incarcerated for violent crimes at lower rates than U.S.-born citizens. According to analysis by Alex Nowrasteh of the Cato Institute, undocumented immigrants in Georgia are incarcerated for homicide at a rate of 61 per 100,000 people, compared to 90 per 100,000 for U.S. citizens and legal immigrants.
The Laken Riley Act now moves to the Senate, where Republicans hold a majority. To pass, it will require at least seven Democratic votes, signaling potential bipartisan support or continued division on the issue of immigration reform.
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