President Donald Trump has signed the Laken Riley Act into law, marking the first legislative achievement of his second term. Named in honor of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia who was tragically killed by an undocumented immigrant in 2024, the Act mandates the detention of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes. The legislation also empowers state attorneys general to sue the federal government for failures in immigration enforcement.
The Act received bipartisan support in Congress, passing the House of Representatives with a 263-156 vote, including 46 Democrats, and the Senate with a. . .