On Tuesday, the US House of Representatives passed HR 29 better known as the Laken Riley Act, by a bipartisan vote of 264-159, with 48 Democrats voting in favor of the bill. 

“The Biden-Harris administration’s failure to enforce our immigration laws cost Laken Riley her life,” said freshman Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-CD10, in a press release following the vote. “Her murderer, someone who never should have been in this country, exploited a broken system and destroyed a family. The Laken Riley Act is a promise to every American family that we will secure our borders, uphold the rule of law, and stop these preventable tragedies. Enough is enough.”

 HR 29 has two primary purposes. First, it amends federal law to require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers and take custody of illegal aliens who commit theft-related crimes as defined by state and federal laws. Second, according to a press release, it allows state attorney generals to sue the Department of Homeland Security for injunctive relief such as parole, violation of detention, or other policy failures that harm the state or its citizens. 

The Laken Riley Act is named for a nursing student at the University of Georgia who was stabbed to death on February 22, 2024, while jogging on campus.

This bill directly addresses Riley’s the circumstances of her murder because Riley’s convicted murderer, Jose Ibarra, a Venezulan man, had previously been cited for shoplifting by the Athens Police Department. 

Rep. Mike Collins, R-GA10, first introduced the bill last year and reintroduced it on January 3. The bill passed the House last year with bi-partisan support before it died in the Senate. 

“The Laken Riley Act gives our law enforcement the tools they need to protect their communities and ensure that no more innocent lives are lost to a broken immigration and criminal justice system,” said Collins in a press release. “I am proud that the House was able to come together and pass this bill. If the Senate will do its job, President Trump will make it law.”

“Laken was brutally murdered by an illegal criminal who shouldn’t have been in our country in the first place,” said Rep. Richard Hudson, R-CD9, in an X post. “We must ensure no American endures what Laken did, and this good bill does just that.”

On Nov 20, Ibarra was found guilty of all 10 charges by Judge H. Patrick Haggard. Ibarra waived his right to a jury trial. Charges against Ibarra included: one count of malice murder; three counts of felony murder; and one count each of kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstructing an emergency call, evidence tampering, and being a peeping Tom, reported AP.  Prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty. Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison without parole. 

Freshman Rep. Brad Knott, R-NC13, also expressed his support in an X post. 

“President Biden should prevent another murder like that of Laken Riley by ending the catch-and-release of illegal aliens, increasing immigration enforcement, detaining and removing criminal aliens, reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy, ending his abuse of parole authority, and securing the United States borders,” reads the bill.  

Out of 48 Democrats who voted for the bill, one of them was Rep. Don Davis, NC-CD1.

“We have a responsibility to keep our communities safe. The Laken Riley Act ensures our immigration system is not allowing dangerous criminals to slip through the cracks,” said Davis in a press release.

According to a press release, after passing the House, the bill was introduced in the Senate by NC Sens. Tedd Budd and Thom Tillis, along with their colleagues, Majority Leader John Thune, R-SD, and Sens. Katie Britt, R-AL, and John Fetterman, D-PA.

“Laken Riley was murdered in cold blood because an illegal immigrant, who previously committed a crime, wasn’t deported due to President Biden’s disastrous border policies,” said Tillis. “Illegal immigrants who commit a serious crime should be deported immediately. This commonsense legislation ensures that ICE detains and ultimately deports criminal illegal immigrants rather than let them continue to threaten our communities.”

The bill must pass in the Senate by a simple majority vote (51%) before it is sent to the president’s desk.

“What happened to Laken Riley should never happen to any American citizen. As we turn the page from the disastrous open-border policies of Joe Biden, the Laken Riley Act will empower the Trump administration to enforce our laws, keep our nation secure, and prevent tragedies,” said Sen. Ted Budd in a press release following the House vote.  

Chad Pergram a congressional correspondent for Fox News posted the following statement allegedly from Fetterman in an X post. 

Several other NC lawmakers made statements in support of HR 7511 in an X post.