President Donald John Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law after it passed through Congress, January 29, according to npr.org. The Laken Riley Act will make it easier for immigration officials to detain and deport undocumented immigrants that commit crimes, according to npr.org.
Mr. Trump made undocumented immigration a focal point of his campaign in the 2024 presidential election. The Laken Riley Act passed through the United States (US) Congress only two days after Mr. Trump’s swearing in ceremony, according to nbcnews.com. Under this act, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have the power to detain any immigrant arrested or charged with crimes ranging from shoplifting to any crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury, according to natlawreview.com. Additionally, this bill grants authority for each state’s attorney general to sue the federal government regarding particular failures or decisions in immigration enforcement, ensuring the government does not unjustly deport any immigrants, according to rnlawgroup.com.

Mr. Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law, his first legislative bill, January 29, after a week into his second presidency, according to thehill.com. During the signing, Mrs. Allyson Philips, Laken Riley’s mom, expressed her gratitude to everyone who helped push this bill into law, according to abcnews.go.com. The bill passed with bipartisan support, according to thehill.com.
The murder of a 22-year-old college student, Laken Riley, prompted the name of the Laken Riley Act, according to apnews.com. Mr. Josè Antonio Ibarra killed Ms. Riley while she was running February 22, 2024, according to CNN. A judge ruled Mr. Ibarra, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, guilty and sentenced him to life without parole after convicted of ten crimes, including murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, and tampering with evidence, according to CNN. Previously, an officer arrested Mr. Ibarra and sentenced him to parole after convicted of shoplifting, according to thehill.com. Mr. Vincent Badagliacca, History Department Chair and Upper School Teacher, reflected on the complexity of immigration.
“What we’ve seen in recent years, an open, uncontrolled border, allowing millions of people to enter the United States, has been unprecedented,” Mr. Badagliacca said. “Certainly, there are those who come here for a better life, but by entering or remaining, in illegal fashion, those people, however well intentioned, are breaking the law of the United States.”
This act passed through the US House of Representatives, January 7, with a 264 to 159 vote, according to thehill.com. In the US Senate, this act passed with a 64 to 35 vote to send it back to the House of Representatives, according to washingtonpost.com. January 22 marked the day that the House of Representatives passed the amended version of the Laken Riley Act with a vote of 263 to 156, according to cis.org.

The Trump administration started taking actions that align with the Laken Riley Act, prior to it getting signed into law. Three days after Mr. Trump’s inauguration, the Trump administration arrested 538 undocumented immigrants including a suspected terrorist and four members of the Tren de Aragua gang, according to cbsnews.com.
Additionally, Congress estimated that this bill will cost around $83 billion dollars over the next three years because of the need for increased ICE officers and planes needed to send the undocumented aliens back to their country. ICE estimates around 110,000 people are eligible for detention, and they would need a significant amount of detention beds, according to natlawreview.com. Mr. Trump threatened Gustavo Petro, President of Columbia, to pose 25 to 50 percent tariffs on goods coming to the US from Columbia after Mr. Petro blocked two US military flights from landing while bringing undocumented immigrants back to their home country, according to abcnews.go.com.
Undocumented immigrants pose the risk of deportation before there is a verdict in their case, causing backlash from numerous Democratic congressmen, according to courthousenews.com. Some Democratic congressmen that are against the Laken Riley Act are frustrated because undocumented immigrants can get deported after accused of a crime, without a conviction or any judicial review, according to thehill.com. Additionally, some Democrats express their concern with the cost this bill as it will cost around $26 billion dollars in only the first year, according to npr.com. Mr. Badagliacca identified the nuance related to the issue of immigration.
“[…] Immigration is a complex issue, made more difficult by politics,” Mr. Badagliacca said. “However, I do believe there are many areas of common ground upon which a sensible, compassionate, and beneficial national immigration policy could be based. Congress needs to act in bipartisan fashion, incorporating areas of agreement into a new, modern immigration law.”
Featured Image by Claire McMonagle ’27