GOP-led immigration legislation passes House in first bill of new Congress, but faces uncertain future in Senate
The House voted on Tuesday to pass a GOP-led bill to require detention of undocumented migrants charged with certain crimes, but the measure faces an uncertain future in the Senate in a sign of the challenges facing Republicans despite controlling both chambers of Congress.
The decision by House Republicans to bring up the legislation, known as the Laken Riley Act, as the first bill of the new Congress highlights the central priority of the issue for the party. But the narrow margins in both chambers limit what Republicans can achieve, and it’s not clear if the bill will have the votes needed in the Senate, which is on track to take up the measure on Friday.
The House vote was 264 to 159, with 48 Democrats voting with Republicans in support. When the legislation passed the chamber in the last session Congress, 37 Democrats voted with Republicans.
Democrats are under pressure to show they will act on immigration, especially in the wake of Trump’s election in a campaign cycle where Republicans frequently painted their opponents as soft on the border and immigration policy. In the aftermath of Trump’s win, some Democrats have said the party must do more to address voter concerns over the issue.
A critical mass of Democrats would have to join with Republicans to clear the 60-vote threshold required to advance most legislation in the Senate, a major constraint on the chamber’s new GOP majority and President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming agenda.
The bill would require the detention of undocumented migrants charged with theft or burglary. The legislation is named after a Georgia student who was killed last year while she was out for a run. An undocumented migrant from Venezuela was convicted and sentenced to life without parole in the case that reignited a national debate over immigration and crime.
Speaker Mike Johnson is presiding over the narrowest House majority in roughly a century, and in the Senate, Republicans control only 53 seats.
Typically, that would mean that at least seven Democrats would need to vote with Republicans to advance a bill subject to a filibuster. But when the bill comes up for a procedural vote in the Senate this week, it would need eight Democrats to vote with Republicans since incoming West Virginia GOP Sen. Jim Justice, who chose to delay his swearing in to finish out his term as governor, isn’t expected to take his seat until next week.
Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has said he supports the legislation.
Fetterman said in a statement to CNN, “Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people. No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence. Immigration is what makes our country great. I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system.”
Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, who is up for reelection in 2026, told CNN that he plans to vote for the Laken Riley Act. Asked why, Peters said, “border security and keeping Americans safe.”
Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona told CNN’s Manu Raju he’s “looking at” the legislation.
“What does it say about Democrats who vote against it? Well, people are going to have to make a decision,” GOP Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming told CNN of the vote. “And you know, it’s now a bipartisan bill, Fetterman has signed on.”
Republicans are acutely aware of the limitations of their narrow majority and the party is preparing a push for a major legislative package under a process known as reconciliation that will allow them to bypass the Senate’s 60-vote threshold.
There are already divisions over the strategy and priorities to include in that package, however, as some Republicans push for a single package that encompasses a sweeping array of policy items, while others argue the effort should be split up into two separate packages.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
CNN’s Ted Barrett and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report.
House passes Laken Riley Act, approving immigration measure in first bill of new Congress
Washington — The House approved its first policy legislation of the new Congress on Tuesday with a bill aimed at addressing illegal immigration.
The Laken Riley Act would require the Department of Homeland Security to take into custody undocumented immigrants who have been charged with theft and other crimes. The legislation is named for Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant last year. A judge convicted the man, Jose Ibarra, on murder and other charges related to Riley's death in November.
"As promised, we're starting today with border security," House Speaker Mike Johnson said ahead of the vote Tuesday, adding that lawmakers have "a lot to do there to fix it" and noting that the Laken Riley Act "is a big part of that."
In a 264 to 159 vote, the House approved the measure, with all voting Republicans and 48 Democrats supporting its passage.
The legislation also includes a provision that would empower state attorneys general who claim their state or its residents have been harmed by immigration policies to sue the Department of Homeland Security.
The House approved the legislation in March, with 37 House Democrats joining Republicans in support of its passage. But the bill stalled in the then-Democratic-controlled Senate.
Johnson encouraged more Democrats to join Republicans this time around, saying the vote would be "telling."
"We're going to detain and deport illegal aliens who commit burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, certainly vicious and violent crimes, and I can't believe anybody would be opposed to that," Johnson said.
Riley's story became a rallying cry for the GOP during the lead-up to the 2024 election, while Democrats accused Republicans of using her death for political purposes.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, said ahead of the vote Tuesday that "the murder of Laken Riley was an unspeakable and appalling crime," but he called the bill "an empty and opportunistic measure." Raskin said the legislation "fails to address any of the real issues at stake," while criticizing Republicans for walking away from a bipartisan border security deal last year when President-elect Donald Trump "aggressively tanked" the legislation.
The Maryland Democrat argued that the bill would upend decades of policy by requiring that an undocumented immigrant be detained "even if they are never convicted or even charged with a crime," calling it a "radical departure" from current law.
Still, this time around, the bill is seeing more bipartisan support. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania became the first Senate Democrat to sign on as a cosponsor in the GOP-controlled upper chamber this week, where a vote is expected on Friday.
"Laken Riley's story is a tragic reminder of what's at stake when our systems fail to protect people," Fetterman said in a statement, noting that while he says immigration "makes our country great," he's supportive of giving authorities tools to "prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system."
Republicans have pledged to make border security a key priority as they prepare to hold a GOP trifecta in Washington when Trump returns to the White House later this month.
How each member of the House voted on the Laken Riley Act
(CNN) — The House on Tuesday approved a GOP-led bill to require detention of undocumented migrants charged with certain crimes.
The bill, known as the “Laken Riley Act,” would require the detention of undocumented migrants charged with theft or burglary. The legislation is named after a Georgia student who was killed last year while she was out for a run. It faces an uncertain future in the Senate.
The House vote was 264 to 159, with 48 Democrats voting with Republicans in support.
For a detailed breakdown of how each member voted, filter or sort table below:
How each member of the House voted on the Laken Riley Act
(CNN) — The House on Tuesday approved a GOP-led bill to require detention of undocumented migrants charged with certain crimes.
The bill, known as the “Laken Riley Act,” would require the detention of undocumented migrants charged with theft or burglary. The legislation is named after a Georgia student who was killed last year while she was out for a run. It faces an uncertain future in the Senate.
The House vote was 264 to 159, with 48 Democrats voting with Republicans in support.
For a detailed breakdown of how each member voted, filter or sort table below:
Who Are The 159 Democrats Who Voted Against Laken Riley Act? Republicans React
The Laken Riley Act, the first piece of policy legislation of the 119th Congress, was enacted by the House of Representatives on Tuesday. By a vote of 264 to 159, the bill—named for nursing student Laken Riley, 22, who was killed by an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant—passed.
Key Provisions of the Act
The law requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to hold undocumented immigrants who are suspected of crimes like stealing. It also gives states the ability to seek damages for harm allegedly caused by illegal immigration and gives state attorneys general the authority to sue the federal government for failing to enforce national immigration regulations.The bill was reintroduced by Republican Representative Mike Collins of Georgia, who claimed that Riley's death was caused in part by the border policies of the Biden administration. The measure was passed in the midst of heated discussions over public safety and immigration.
Bipartisan Vote Breakdown
159 Democrats voted against the measure, compared to 48 who backed it. These Democrats have come under fire from Republicans who claim they are disregarding the desires of voters for more stringent border security. House Speaker Mike Johnson condemned the opposition, stating, “House Republicans heard the voices of those who wanted change and voted to pass the Laken Riley Act. Today’s success is just the beginning of Republican efforts to undo the catastrophic damage caused by years of the Democrats’ failed leadership.”Full List of Democrats Who Opposed the Act
Below is the complete list of the 159 House Democrats who voted against the Laken Riley Act:
- Alma Adams (N.C.)
- Pete Aguilar (Calif.)
- Gabe Amo (R.I.)
- Yassamin Ansari (Ariz.)
- Jake Auchincloss (Mass.)
- Becca Balint (Vt.)
- Nanette Barragán (Calif.)
- Joyce Beatty (Ohio)
- Wesley Bell (Mo.)
- Ami Bera (Calif.)
- Don Beyer (Va.)
- S. Bishop Jr. (Ga.)
- Suzanne Bonamici (Ore.)
- Shontel M. Brown (Ohio)
- Julia Brownley (Calif.)
- Salud Carbajal (Calif.)
- André Carson (Ind.)
- Troy A. Carter (La.)
- Greg Casar (Texas)
- Ed Case (Hawaii)
- Sean Casten (Ill.)
- Kathy Castor (Fla.)
- Joaquin Castro (Texas)
- S. Cherfilus-McCormick (Fla.)
- Judy Chu (Calif.)
- Gil Cisneros (Calif.)
- Katherine Clark (Mass.)
- Yvette D. Clarke (N.Y.)
- Emanuel Cleaver II (Mo.)
- James E. Clyburn (S.C.)
- Steve Cohen (Tenn.)
- Herb Conaway (N.J.)
- Gerry Connolly (Va.)
- Lou Correa (Calif.)
- Jasmine Crockett (Texas)
- Jason Crow (Colo.)
- Danny K. Davis (Ill.)
- Madeleine Dean (Pa.)
- Diana DeGette (Colo.)
- Rosa DeLauro (Conn.)
- Suzan DelBene (Wash.)
- Mark DeSaulnier (Calif.)
- Maxine Dexter (Ore.)
- Debbie Dingell (Mich.)
- Lloyd Doggett (Texas)
- Sarah Elfreth (Md.)
- Veronica Escobar (Texas)
- Adriano Espaillat (N.Y.)
- Lizzie Fletcher (Texas)
- Bill Foster (Ill.)
- Valerie Foushee (N.C.)
- Lois Frankel (Fla.)
- Laura Friedman (Calif.)
- Maxwell Frost (Fla.)
- John Garamendi (Calif.)
- Robert Garcia (Calif.)
- Jesús "Chuy" Garcia (Ill.)
- Dan Goldman (N.Y.)
- Jimmy Gomez (Calif.)
- Al Green (Texas)
- Jim Himes (Conn.)
- Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.)
- Steny H. Hoyer (Md.)
- Jared Huffman (Calif.)
- Glenn Ivey (Md.)
- Jonathan Jackson (Ill.)
- Sara Jacobs (Calif.)
- Pramila Jayapal (Wash.)
- Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.)
- Julie Johnson (Texas)
- Hank Johnson (Ga.)
- S. Kamlager-Dove (Calif.)
- Bill Keating (Mass.)
- Robin Kelly (Ill.)
- Timothy M. Kennedy (N.Y.)
- Ro Khanna (Calif.)
- Raja Krishnamoorthi (Ill.)
- Rick Larsen (Wash.)
- John B. Larson (Conn.)
- George Latimer (N.Y.)
- Summer Lee (Pa.)
- T. Leger Fernandez (N.M.)
- Sam Liccardo (Calif.)
- Ted Lieu (Calif.)
- Zoe Lofgren (Calif.)
- Seth Magaziner (R.I.)
- Doris Matsui (Calif.)
- Sarah McBride (Del.)
- Jennifer McClellan (Va.)
- Betty McCollum (Minn.)
- Morgan McGarvey (Ky.)
- Jim McGovern (Mass.)
- LaMonica McIver (N.J.)
- Gregory W. Meeks (N.Y.)
- Robert Menendez (N.J.)
- Grace Meng (N.Y.)
- Kweisi Mfume (Md.)
- Gwen Moore (Wis.)
- Kelly Morrison (Minn.)
- Seth Moulton (Mass.)
- Kevin Mullin (Calif.)
- Jerry Nadler (N.Y.)
- Richard E. Neal (Mass.)
- Joe Neguse (Colo.)
- Donald Norcross (N.J.)
- A. Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.)
- John Olszewski (Md.)
- Ilhan Omar (Minn.)
- Frank Pallone Jr. (N.J.)
- Jimmy Panetta (Calif.)
- Nancy Pelosi (Calif.)
- Scott Peters (Calif.)
- Brittany Pettersen (Colo.)
- Chellie Pingree (Maine)
- Mark Pocan (Wis.)
- Nelly Pou (N.J.)
- Ayanna Pressley (Mass.)
- Mike Quigley (Ill.)
- Delia C. Ramirez (Ill.)
- Emily Randall (Wash.)
- Jamie Raskin (Md.)
- Luz Rivas (Calif.)
- Deborah Ross (N.C.)
- Pat Ryan (N.Y.)
- Andrea Salinas (Ore.)
- Linda T. Sánchez (Calif.)
- Mary Gay Scanlon (Pa.)
- Jan Schakowsky (Ill.)
- Bradley Schneider (Ill.)
- David Scott (Ga.)
- Robert C. Scott (Va.)
- Brad Sherman (Calif.)
- Lateefah Simon (Calif.)
- Adam Smith (Wash.)
- Darren Soto (Fla.)
- Melanie Stansbury (N.M.)
- Haley Stevens (Mich.)
- Marilyn Strickland (Wash.)
- Eric Swalwell (Calif.)
- Mark Takano (Calif.)
- Shri Thanedar (Mich.)
- Mike Thompson (Calif.)
- Bennie Thompson (Miss.)
- Rashida Tlaib (Mich.)
- Jill Tokuda (Hawaii)
- Paul Tonko (N.Y.)
- Norma J. Torres (Calif.)
- Lori Trahan (Mass.)
- Sylvester Turner (Texas)
- Lauren Underwood (Ill.)
- Juan Vargas (Calif.)
- Gabe Vasquez (N.M.)
- Marc Veasey (Texas)
- Nydia M. Velázquez (N.Y.)
- Eugene Vindman (Va.)
- D. Wasserman Schultz (Fla.)
- Maxine Waters (Calif.)
- B. Watson Coleman (N.J.)
- Nikema Williams (Ga.)
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House passes Laken Riley Act to amp up border enforcement and put pressure on Democrats
WASHINGTON — The Republican-led House passed its first bill of the new Congress on Tuesday — a strict border measure named for a 22-year-old Georgia nursing school student whose murder last year by an immigrant in the country illegally became a flashpoint in the presidential campaign.
The 264-159 vote to pass the Laken Riley Act puts pressure on Senate Democrats to support the legislation when Republicans, who now control the upper chamber, bring it to the floor for an initial vote Friday, which would have been Riley’s 23rd birthday.
All 52 Senate Republicans are co-sponsoring the bill, as is Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. That means Republicans need seven more Senate Democrats to reach the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.
“We welcome with open arms any Democrat who wants to help us solve these problems, because the American people demand and deserve it. It’s overdue,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters before the vote.
In November, Jose Ibarra, 26, a Venezuelan citizen who was in the United States illegally, was found guilty of kidnapping, assaulting and murdering Riley while she was out for a jog near the University of Georgia campus in Athens. Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Appearing on the campaign trail in Georgia with Riley’s relatives, Trump seized on the issue and blamed President Joe Biden’s immigration policies for her murder. Trump’s congressional allies highlighted that Ibarra had been cited for shoplifting by a Georgia police department but that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, did not issue a detainer for him and he was not taken into custody.
The bill, authored by Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., would change federal law to require ICE, operating under the Homeland Security Department, to issue detainers and take custody of people in the country illegally who commit theft-related crimes, including shoplifting.
“We’re going to detain and deport illegal aliens who commit burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, certainly vicious and violent crime, and I can’t believe anybody would be opposed to that,” Johnson said.
Last March, the House passed the Laken Riley Act on a 251 to 170 vote, with 37 Democrats — most representing swing districts or running for statewide office — joining all Republicans in voting yes. Among the Democrats backing the measure were then-Reps. Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, who both won election to the Senate in November. Then controlled by Democrats, the Senate in the last Congress did not take up the bill.
More House Democrats voted for the Laken Riley Act this time around: 48 of them joined all Republicans present in voting aye.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said Tuesday that Democrats in his chamber, including the two moderates from Georgia, will be under immense pressure to support the bill.
“People are going to have to make a decision. It’s now a bipartisan bill; Fetterman has now signed on,” Barrasso said, noting that Gallego and Slotkin are already on record supporting the bill.
“And we’re going to see what the Georgia senators do, too. This happened in Georgia," he said. "And Friday, the day of the vote here in the Senate, is actually Laken Riley’s birthday.”
Senate Democrats planned to discuss the bill at their weekly lunch Tuesday, said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. He said his view is that the legislation would complicate current immigration law.
"I just don't think it's a good bill. I think it's going to make the immigration system written as is much, much, much more complicated, byzantine and confusing because of this new right it provides for attorneys general to litigate detainment cases in court," Murphy said Tuesday.
"It's just not a well-constructed piece of legislation," he said.
