The 119th Congress is kicking off with a vote on the Laken Riley Act, a bill targeting undocumented immigrants who commit certain nonviolent crimes. The move underscores the Republican focus on immigration while Democrats navigate post-election challenges.
The House is set to vote on the bill Tuesday, with the Senate likely following on Friday. Named after a nursing student murdered last year by an undocumented immigrant with prior theft charges, the act mandates detention for undocumented individuals convicted of certain crimes.
"I am thrilled that we're going to get moving," said Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), who introduced the bill in the Senate. She said she expects bipartisan support, emphasizing the need to "protect Americans", Axios reported.
The bill passed the House in 2024 with backing from both parties but must clear the House again due to the new Congress. Democrats Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), who supported it in the House, are now in the Senate, and are expected to back it again. Sen John Fetterman (D-Pa) is cosponsoring the bill.
Passing the bill in the Senate remains uncertain as it requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. However, the support from at least some Democrats signals a shift in Democratic strategy after the party's 2024 losses, particularly on immigration.
As the new year kicks off and the incoming Congress is set to be sworn in Jan. 3, the GOP is preparing to have a majority in both chambers. In this context, House Republicans have released their proposed rules for the incoming group, which includes several changes on immigration enforcement.
One proposed rule allows the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented migrants previously charged with theft, among other offenses. The 36-page document also includes other proposals including a bill that declares assaulting a law enforcement officer a deportable offense, one making sanctuary cities ineligible for federal funds that benefit migrants, and another targeting migrants convicted of sex offenses or domestic violence, among other measures.
New Senate GOP leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) was clear on his top priority for 2025: a major border security and defense package. Thune is working on a two-part reconciliation plan for next year, aiming to make it deficit-neutral, or even deficit-negative.
The first reconciliation package's border component could amount to $120 billion. It would fund border wall construction, bolster border agent resources, and expand infrastructure for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to implement Trump's deportation initiatives, according to a source familiar with the plans."
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