WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Katie Britt’s Laken Riley Act is headed to President Donald Trump’s desk after the House passed the bill targeting illegal immigration Wednesday.
House members approved the legislation 263-156 with bipartisan support. In all, 46 Democrats supported the bill, including both from the Alabama delegation. It cleared the Senate earlier this week.
The legislation requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants who commit crimes such as theft or burglary. It was amended in the Senate adding two criminal offenses that will also require detention for undocumented immigrants: Assault of a law enforcement officer and crimes resulting in bodily injury or death. The House passed the bill earlier this month before it was amended.
Britt told Alabama Daily News she is excited to see the legislation pass both chambers with support from Republicans and Democrats. The Senate passed the bill with 12 Democrats joining Republicans.
“It’s truly a historic day, and it is incredibly humbling to get to be a part of it,” Britt said.
The legislation is named after Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student who was killed by an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela while she was jogging last year.
Britt said she helped persuade some Democrats in the Senate to vote for the bill by going old-school, talking to them in their offices, on the floor and calling them.
“We were able to build the momentum and support that way, and I am thrilled, not only that, we were able to do this and honor Laken’s life and legacy, but I’m thrilled we were actually able to accomplish something for the American people,” Britt told ADN.
Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, said Britt offered a compelling reason to vote for the legislation and said she hopes Congress can address the immigration system in a bipartisan way.
“The specific circumstances of what happened really moved me and I think the fact that I represent Birmingham, Alabama and we have one of the highest murder rates in the nation, we want safer communities,” Sewell told ADN.
Britt was on the House floor when the body passed the legislation Wednesday.
Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Birmingham, presided over the House during debate on the bill. He posted on X that the legislation “will make our communities safer.”
Rep. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise, also expressed his support for the legislation before the vote.
“We need to have an opportunity to arrest those folks and do what we need to do to make our citizens safe,” Moore told ADN.
The bill is expected to cost $83 billion over the next three years, according to a memo from Senate Democrats on the Appropriations Committee obtained by the Associated Press. There is no funding attached to the legislation.
Trump is expected to sign the Laken Riley Act as his first piece of legislation since inauguration.