What is the Laken Riley Act? Read the law that's the first to be signed by Trump
- President Trump signed the Laken Riley Act, which requires ICE to detain immigrants illegally in the U.S. who are arrested for certain crimes, even without a conviction.
- The act, named after a young woman murdered by an immigrant in the U.S. illegally, was a key issue for Republicans in the 2024 election.
- Supporters say the law will improve public safety, while critics argue it could lead to racial profiling and infringe on civil liberties.
President Donald Trump has signed the first law of his second administration: the Laken Riley Act.
The legislation will require immigration officers to detain immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally when they're accused of certain crimes, including shoplifting.
"It's a landmark law that we're doing today," Trump said from the White House. "It's going to save countless innocent American lives."
Civil and immigrant rights organizations have said the act could pose a threat to civil liberties and lead to increased racial profiling. Supporters argue that it will make the U.S. safer and that if it had been law in 2024, it may have saved the life of Laken Riley. The young woman's murder at the hands of a Venezuelan in the U.S. illegally became a rallying cry for Republicans during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Here is what else you need to know about the Laken Riley Act.
What is the Laken Riley Act?
Written by Republican Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia, the Laken Riley Act requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain immigrants illegally in the U.S. if they've been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, and assaulting a police officer. An individual does not have to be convicted of the crime in court, only accused of one, to be detained and deported.
The act also includes a provision allowing state attorneys general who consider their state or its residents harmed by immigration policies to sue the Department of Homeland Security.
"The bill directly addresses one of the federal policy failures related to Laken Riley’s murder. Her murderer, Jose Ibarra, is an illegal alien who had been previously cited for shoplifting by the Athens Police Department," House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said in a statement. "If local law enforcement had called ICE, and ICE issued a detainer and picked him up, Laken would be alive."
Laken Riley Act saw bipartisan support
Although criticized by civil and immigrant rights organizations, the bill passed Congress with backing from 12 swing state Democrats in the Senate. The bill passed the House with 48 Democrats joining to pass the bill.
Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, a Democratic senator who voted in favor of the legislation, attended the bill signing alongside several congressional Republicans, including bill sponsors Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama and Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia.
"I believe a stronger border is fully compatible with my commitment to immigration," Fetterman said in a social media post. "I believe a secure border creates a more secure nation and it's just common sense."
Read the Laken Riley Act here
Who is Laken Riley?
Riley, 22, was studying nursing at Augusta University in Athens when she went for a run on the morning of Feb. 22, 2024, on the University of Georgia campus.
Prosecutors said Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, intended to rape Riley when he attacked her on the intramural fields complex and bludgeoned her with a rock. Ibarra was arrested in a nearby apartment building the next day.
Ibarra, who entered the U.S. illegally in September 2022, was convicted of all charges, including murder, aggravated assault with attempt to rape and kidnapping.
Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In his campaign for the White House, Trump and his Republican allies turned the case into an indictment of President Joe Biden's immigration policies, stoking fears of rampant crime by foreigners streaming into the U.S. unlawfully.
Contributing: Jorge L. Ortiz, Jeanine Santucci, Joey Garrison and Francesca Chambers
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for Paste BN. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.