President Trump Signs the Laken Riley Act — His First Bill Signing in his Second Term.

Laken Riley was brutally murdered by an illegal alien who had been briefly stopped when he crossed the USA border, but in accordance with Biden Administration policies he was released into the United States.

Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was murdered on February 22, 2024, while she was jogging at the University of Georgia. 

Her murderer, José Antonio Ibarra, 26, an illegal from Venezuela, was found guilty on all charges on November 20, 2024, and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Ibarra had been caught crossing the border, but was released into the United States. Ibarra had been previously arrested by both federal and state officials in multiple jurisdictions. He was believed to be a member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.  

On March 7, 2024, the House of Representatives passed the Laken Riley Act with 251 Representatives voting for the bill. 170 Representatives — all Democrats — voted against it. The Democrat-controlled Senate refused to bring the bill up for a vote and the bill died.

On January 7, 2025, the Laken Riley Act again passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 264 in favor and 159 — all Democrats — opposed. The bill was the first piece of legislation passed by the House of Representatives in the newly seated Congress,  The Senate, now controlled by Republicans, passed the bill on January 20, 2025, with all Republicans and 12 Democrats voting in favor, and 35 Democrats voting against the bill.

The Laken Riley Act (HR 29) mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants who are accused of  burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The Act amends 8 USC 1226 (“Apprehension and detention of aliens”), which now requires, at subsection (c)(1), that “the Attorney General take into custody any alien who” … (E)(ii) “is charged with, is arrested for, is convicted of, admits having committed, or admits committing acts which constitute the essential elements of any burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, or assault of a law enforcement officer offense, or any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury to another person, when the alien is released [by state law enforcement], without regard to whether the alien is released on parole, supervised release, or probation, and without regard to whether the alien may be arrested or imprisoned again for the same offense.”

President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on January 29, 2025. It was the first law he signed in his second term. Upon his signature, the bill became PUB. L. 119-1.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a Press Release in which she wrote, “Thank you, President Trump, for signing the Laken Riley Act. This law restores commonsense to our broken immigration system. Under President Trump, violent criminals and vicious gang members will no longer be released into American communities.”