(Washington) The US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill that targets illegal immigrants accused of crimes, beginning to implement Donald Trump’s anti-immigration agenda.
The text, which requires the detention by federal law enforcement of irregular migrants suspected of certain non-violent offenses such as theft or burglary, was adopted by the lower house with a Republican majority with 264 votes in favor (including 48 Democrats) and 159 against.
It must now be examined by the Senate, where the Republicans also have a majority since the November elections.
“As promised, we start today with border security,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said before the vote.
If you did a poll of the population and voters, they would tell you that it’s at the top of the list (of important issues).
Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson
According to the “speaker”, the immigration situation has been “an absolute disaster” under Joe Biden.
The bill was named the Laken Riley Act, named after a 22-year-old student killed in February 2024 in the southeastern United States by an illegal Venezuelan immigrant.
José Antonio Ibarra, 26, had been arrested before the murder for shoplifting. He has since been sentenced to an irreducible life sentence.
The affair had created significant stir during the electoral campaign and had been extensively exploited by Donald Trump and the Republicans, who blamed this murder on the lax policy of the Biden administration in terms of border control.
They had demanded that the Democratic president offer an “apology” to Laken Riley’s family.
“The Laken Riley Act is a measure aimed directly at ensuring that criminal illegal aliens are expelled quickly and permanently,” Tom Emmer, an influential Republican congressman, said at a press conference on Tuesday.
