In a significant legislative move, the US House of Representatives has passed the controversial Laken Riley Act, which would require the mandatory detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft-related offenses. The bill, named after a murdered Georgia nursing student, secured bipartisan support and now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk, marking his first legislative win as he aggressively pursues his hardline immigration agenda.
Unexpected Democratic Backing
The 263-158 House vote saw a surprising 46 Democrats join Republicans in advancing the bill, which had passed the Senate 64-35 with a dozen Democratic votes. This notable Democratic support highlights the party’s apparent shift to the right on immigration issues following narrow Republican victories in November’s midterms.
Progressive groups have slammed the Democrats who backed the measure. Sarah Dohl of Indivisible called them “spineless” for “handing Maga Republicans a gift they didn’t deserve,” referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. She decried the act as a “racist, xenophobic attack on immigrants that shreds constitutional rights.“
Empowering Anti-Immigrant Forces?
Under the Laken Riley Act, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be compelled to detain undocumented immigrants accused of crimes like burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. Crucially, it would allow state attorneys general to sue the federal government for perceived failures to enforce immigration laws.
“This is an extreme and reactive bill that will authorize the largest expansion of mandatory detention we have seen in decades, sweeping in children, Dreamers, parents of US-citizen children and other longtime members of their communities.”
– Sarah Mehta, ACLU
Civil rights advocates argue the act ignores due process and empowers figures like Texas AG Ken Paxton to “hijack federal immigration policy.” The ACLU’s Sarah Mehta warns it will detain people even ICE thinks should remain free, offering “no solutions to improve our immigration system.“
Trump’s Hardline Agenda Advances
For Trump, the bill’s passage represents a key legislative victory as he presses a multi-pronged attack on immigration. Using executive authority, he has already:
- Declared a national emergency at the southern border
- Called to end birthright citizenship, a 14th Amendment right
The latter move has triggered lawsuits from Democratic states and rights groups, likely foreshadowing drawn-out court battles over Trump’s immigration policies throughout his second term. With the Laken Riley Act soon to be signed into law, the nation’s immigration debate looks only to intensify.
As legislators, activists and the courts grapple with this contentious issue, undocumented immigrants find themselves facing an increasingly perilous and uncertain future under an emboldened enforcement regime. The true impact of mandated detention for those merely accused, not convicted, of minor crimes remains to be seen – but it is the human cost that may prove the greatest of all.
