Laken Riley Act clears 2nd hurdle in US Senate

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US Senate voted to advance the Laken Riley Act on Monday, clearing a second procedural hurdle as Democrats pushed for amendments to the bill.

Senators voted 82-10 on the motion to proceed to the legislation. The upper chamber cleared the first vote by an overwhelming 84-9 margin last Thursday.

The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain certain non-US nationals who have been arrested for "burglary, theft, larceny or shoplifting." It also authorizes states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement.

However, it is uncertain yet whether it will receive enough support for final passage as many Democrats have suggested amendments to the bill.

Senate Majority leader John Thune on Monday threw his weight behind the Laken Riley Act.

"The bipartisan Laken Riley Act would not only address glaring holes in our immigration policy, but it would hopefully prevent other families from suffering the pain that Laken Riley’s has suffered. Let’s get it done," he said.

The bill is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was murdered in Georgia last year by a migrant who was in the US illegally.

Riley's murder drew national attention to the immigration debate after officials announced that her killer, Jose Antonio Ibarra, was a Venezuelan citizen who had illegally entered the country at the US-Mexico border in 2022.

President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican Party used Riley's death as part of their campaign’s rallying cry during the presidential election to demand stricter immigration policies at the southern border.