The House has approved the Laken Riley Act, signing off on the Senate’s amendments to its measures Wednesday and consequently simplifying the federal government’s ability to detain and deport undocumented migrants for an expanded list of crimes. Passed in a 263 to 156 vote (with 46 Democrats voting in favor), the GOP-led legislation will allow federal immigration officials to detain or deport undocumented migrants that have been charged, not yet convicted, with theft or burglary. The Senate also included an amendment last week which passed in a 64 to 35 vote, that expands the list of charges to include the assault of a law enforcement officer or any crime that results in bodily injury or death. The bill is now slated for President Donald Trump’s desk where it will be signed into law and mark the first major win for his administration that has repeatedly voiced its support for heightened border control and aggressive immigration policies. The bill is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered last year by an undocumented Venezuelan migrant while out on a run.
