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President Trump will sign the Laken Riley Act today, marking his administration’s first legislative achievement. The new law requires authorities to detain and possibly deport undocumented immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes, even before conviction.
The legislation moved swiftly through the Republican-majority Congress, garnering some Democratic backing, despite concerns from immigration advocates who warn it could lead to widespread arrests for minor infractions like shoplifting.
Speaking at a House Republican conference at his Florida golf resort, Trump emphasized the law’s significance in his broader immigration agenda: “This shows the potential for additional enforcement bills that will help us crack down on criminal aliens and totally restore the rule of law in our country.”
Tone deaf reporter interrupts the signing of the Laken Riley Act to ask Trump about federal funding.
Trump’s response: “I don’t think this is the appropriate time.”
President Trump handled this perfectly. pic.twitter.com/BrO5hhFFsF
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 29, 2025
The legislation honors Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia who was killed while jogging in February 2024. Jose Antonio Ibarra, an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant, was convicted of her murder and received a life sentence without parole.
“To have a bill of such importance named after her is a great, a great tribute,” Trump said. “This new form of crime, criminal, illegal aliens, it’s — it’s massive, the numbers are massive and you add that to the crime we already had.”
The swift passage and upcoming White House signing ceremony, scheduled just nine days into Trump’s term, carries significant political weight for conservatives. Critics argue the law exploits a tragedy to implement harsh measures without addressing fundamental immigration reform issues.
The act requires federal authorities to detain immigrants charged with crimes ranging from theft to assault on law enforcement, or offenses resulting in injury or death. It also empowers state attorneys general to challenge federal immigration decisions in court, potentially allowing conservative states to influence national immigration policies.
Before Riley’s murder, Ibarra had multiple encounters with law enforcement. He was initially detained near El Paso in September 2022 during a migration surge, faced child endangerment charges in New York in August 2023, and was linked to a theft in Georgia that October.
House Speaker Mike Johnson praised the legislation’s passage, stating, “This is the right thing to do. It’s always good when the right thing is also the popular thing.”
Laken Riley's mom, Allyson Phillips, before the signing of the Laken Riley Act:
"We also want to thank President Trump for the promises he made to us. He said he would secure our borders and that he never would forget about Laken — and he hasn't. He is a man of his word." pic.twitter.com/nCR53d8E9f
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 29, 2025
Immigration advocates anticipate widespread detentions necessitating new detention facilities. The ACLU warns the act could result in people being “mandatorily locked up — potentially for years — because at some point in their lives, perhaps decades ago, they were accused of nonviolent offenses.”
Hannah Flamm of the International Refugee Assistance Project expressed concerns about constitutional rights violations and predicted legal challenges regarding detention mandates and state attorneys general’s standing in immigration cases. “I think it is pivotal to understand: This bill, framed as connected to a tragic death, is pretext to fortify a mass deportation system,” Flamm said.
The signing follows Trump’s recent executive orders targeting border security and unauthorized immigrants. His administration has suspended refugee resettlement and suggested prosecuting local law enforcement officials who don’t comply with new immigration policies.
“We’re tracking down the illegal alien criminals and we’re detaining them and we’re throwing them the hell out of our country,” Trump declared. “We have no apologies, and we’re moving forward very fast.”