House Passes Laken Riley Act After Debate on Congressional Floor

House Republicans and Democrats debated over the Laken Riley Act before it was passed on Thursday. It will “require the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody” illegal immigrants who have been charged with theft and a series of other offenses.

The bill passed by a margin of 251–170 and will head to the Senate. It is named after 22-year-old Laken Riley, a college student who was recently killed on the campus of the University of Georgia. Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela charged with Ms. Riley’s murder, was arrested in New York prior to the crime but was not detained by ICE.

The arguments for and against were led, respectively, by Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) and Rep. Jerod Nadler (D-N.Y.). The resolution was introduced by Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.).