President Trump calls Biden last-minute pardon’s ‘unfortunate’ in signing ceremony
President Trump briefly responds to Biden’s final pardons as he signs his first executive actions of his new term after being sworn into office.
The Laken Riley Act is headed back to the House after the Senate passed an amended version on Monday night.
By a vote of 64-35, the measure passed the Senate.
Democrats that joined Republicans to support the bill were Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Mark Kelly of Arizona, Jon Ossoff of Georgia, Gary Peters of Michigan, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Mark Warner of Virginia and Raphael Warnock of Georgia.
The measure is set to be one of the first pieces of legislation sent to President Trump’s desk after it overcame the legislative filibuster’s 60-vote threshold twice this month.
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Republicans plan to push through the Laken Riley Act now that they have an incoming trifecta in Washington. (Getty Images)
The bill, introduced in the new Congress by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., in the Senate and Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., in the House, was named for a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was found dead on the University of Georgia’s campus in February.
Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, was found guilty of 10 total counts, including felony murder. He initially pleaded not guilty but was ultimately sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in November.
The measure would require ICE to arrest and detain illegal immigrants that have committed theft, burglary or shoplifting until they are deported. States would also be granted standing under the legislation to take civil action against members of the federal government that do not enforce immigration laws.
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The bill would require ICE detainment for certain crimes by illegals. (Todd Packard, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) )
A Republican amendment that added assault of law enforcement officers to the list of crimes that would trigger ICE detainment was added last week in the Senate. The upper chamber also added on Monday afternoon an additional amendment called, “Sarah’s Law.” The amendment, led by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, would require ICE to detain illegal immigrants charged with killing or seriously injuring another person.
The final vote on the immigration bill began around 6 p.m. in the upper chamber.
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Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student, was found dead near a lake on campus on Feb. 22, 2024. (Laken Riley/Facebook)
Now, the House will need to take up the measure once again and approve the final version as amended by the Senate.
The prioritization of the bill ahead of Trump’s swearing in on Monday came as the new president is expected to make immigration law enforcement a top goal of his administration.
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President-elect Trump arrives for his inauguration at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025. (Melina Mara – Pool/Getty Images)
Trump’s administration has already revealed several actions he is taking on the first day of his term, with many addressing immigration. Incoming White House officials revealed on Monday that he would sign an executive order ending birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants, in addition to several other day-one actions tackling the border crisis.
