The Laken Riley Act, which deals with foreign nationals accused or found guilty of specific offenses, was the first piece of legislation signed into law by US President Donald Trump during his second term. The bill, which aims to provide law enforcement new tools to imprison illegal immigrants who commit or are suspected of committing certain crimes in the US, was adopted by the Senate in a bipartisan 64-35 vote and then passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 263-156. According to the measure, some non-US nationals who have been arrested for shoplifting, larceny, theft, or burglary must be held by the Department of Homeland Security.
Additionally, it gives states the right to bring legal action against the federal government for any immigration enforcement-related decisions or failures. Workers with humanitarian-based or paroled immigration status in the United States should be made aware by their employers of the increased scrutiny for specific admissions, convictions, and charges that may now necessitate federal detention.
Trump Signs Laken Riley Act into Law
The Laken Riley Act, signed into law by President Trump on January 29, 2025, requires federal detention of certain non-U.S. nationals who are arrested for, charged with, convicted of, or otherwise confess to committing any of the following crimes: shoplifting, assault of a law enforcement official, burglary, theft, larceny, or any other crime that results in death or serious bodily harm. The following people who are not citizens of the United States are subject to the law:
- Entered the country without the required inspection;
- Are in the country through deception, fraud, or a false claim of U.S. citizenship;
- Or are in the country without the requisite entry or parole documents.
The new legislation broadens the list of people in the previously mentioned demographics who are subject to mandatory federal imprisonment to include lower-level offenses (like shoplifting) as defined by state or local law. Along with other policies governing immigration enforcement, such as the purportedly improper provision of parole or other immigration benefits, the new law also gives state attorneys general grounds for suing the federal government for decisions or alleged failures.
What is Laken Riley Act?
The new law requires illegal aliens suspected of stealing, breaking and entering, attacking a law enforcement official, or committing any other offense that results in death or serious bodily harm to be detained at the federal level. The Act will allow states to bring legal action against DHS for alleged immigration enforcement shortcomings.
Who was Laken Riley?
The law bears the name of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old University of Georgia nursing student. Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, killed her, later on he was found guilty of Riley’s murder and given a life sentence without the possibility of release. He was freed to continue his case in immigration court after being apprehended for unlawful entry near Texas. According to federal officials, he was freed after being detained by New York police in August 2023 for endangering the safety of children. Additionally, according to police, he received a ticket for stealing in Georgia in October 2023.
Background of the Laken Riley Act
The Laken Riley Act, which President Trump signed into law in January 2025, may give state attorneys general more authority to approve some U.S. visas. The measure, which bears the name of a nursing student from Augusta University who was killed in Athens, Georgia, last year, increases the severity of detention procedures for those who enter the nation illegally and grants federal immigration agents more discretion over who they may detain and deport. Bipartisan backing helped the measure pass both the House and the Senate, and it is the first bill signed into law under Trump’s second administration.
In early January 2025, several higher education policy experts expressed concern about the bill’s potential effects on researchers and international students studying in the United States, as well as those who want to do so. The law grants state attorneys general or other designated state officials the authority to request broad prohibitions on visas from nations that refuse to repatriate deportees from the federal government. This might also apply to nations like China and India, which schools commonly rely on for huge number of their foreign student population, as well as nations south of the U.S. border like Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador that are regularly mentioned in immigration discussions.
Why is law against illegal immigration in US called the Laken Riley Act?
On January 29, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law, granting federal authorities more authority to remove illegal immigrants who have been charged with crimes while they are in the country. The bill requiring the detention of undocumented immigrants accused of violent crimes and theft was finally approved by the Republican-led House on January 22. This is the 1st piece of law that U.S. President Donald Trump can sign because Congress quickly moved in accordance with his plans to crack down on “illegal immigration” with some bipartisan support.
What effects will the new law have in the future?
In addition to vowing to significantly expand deportations, Donald Trump stated during the signing that some of the individuals being returned to their home countries could not be relied upon to remain there. “We are going to ship them off to Guantanamo because we do not want them to return, and some of them are so terrible that we do not even trust the countries to handle them,” Mr. Trump stated. He promised to give federal officials instructions to prepare Cuban facilities to house criminal immigrants.
| Official Website | Click Here |
| Homepage | KeralaCoBank.Com |
Samarth Choudhary is a Chief Editor at keralacobank.com. He has overall editorial experience of 10 years in online media. He has completed his graduation from University of California and masters in Finance from University of Dallas in year 2010. His major interest and expertise is in Finance, Taxes, Government Aid and Schemes. His Major focus is to help users to get relevant information which are published on keralacobank.com in easy and precise form.