President Trump Set To Sign His First Law Since Retaking Presidency

President Trump has been set to sign his first bill into law since being inaugurated.

The House on Wednesday passed the Laken Riley Act, which was named after a Georgia nursing student who was killed by an illegal immigrant last year, and now the bill will go to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.

The Laken Riley Act aims to “clamp down on people in the U.S. illegally who commit nonviolent crimes like theft.”

Laken Riley was killed by Jose Ibarra, who previously was cited for shoplifting, but ICE did not issue a detainer for him.

US House approves Laken Riley Act with a vote of 263–156.

This will be President @realDonaldTrump’s first bill, of his second term, to sign into law.

We did it Laken. pic.twitter.com/hnWyz4yd5I

— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) January 22, 2025

Per AP:

The House on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that requires the detainment of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes, marking the first legislation that President Donald Trump can sign as Congress, with some bipartisan support, swiftly moved in line with his plans to crackdown on illegal immigration.

Passage of the Laken Riley Act, which was named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered last year by a Venezuelan man, shows just how sharply the political debate over immigration has shifted to the right following Trump’s election victory. Immigration policy has often been one of the most entrenched issues in Congress, but a crucial faction of 46 politically vulnerable Democrats joined with Republicans to lift the strict proposal to passage on a 263-156 vote tally.

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“For decades, it has been almost impossible for our government to agree on solutions for the problems at our border and within our country,” said Sen. Katie Britt, an Alabama Republican. She called the legislation “perhaps the most significant immigration enforcement bill” to be passed by Congress in nearly three decades.

House Passes Laken Riley Act—Likely First Bill Trump Signs Into Lawhttps://t.co/rrGNA95gX0 pic.twitter.com/W0wsIvVmQr

— Forbes (@Forbes) January 22, 2025

Here’s what NBC News reported:

The Republican-led House on Wednesday passed the Laken Riley Act, a strict immigration detention measure named for a 22-year-old Georgia nursing school student who was murdered last year by an undocumented immigrant.

The legislation, aimed at clamping down on people in the U.S. illegally who commit nonviolent crimes like theft, is expected to be the first bill President Donald Trump signs into law after returning to the White House this week.

The House vote was 263-156, with 46 Democrats joining all Republicans in support of the measure. The bill passed the Senate on Monday by a vote of 64-35, winning 12 Democratic votes. Among them were Sens. Gary Peters, of Michigan; Jon Ossoff, of Georgia; Jeanne Shaheen, of New Hampshire; and Mark Warner, of Virginia, all up for face re-election in 2026.

In November, Jose Ibarra, 26, a Venezuelan citizen who was in the United States illegally, was found guilty of kidnapping, assaulting and murdering Riley while she was out for a jog near the University of Georgia campus in Athens. Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

On the 2024 campaign trail, Trump and Republicans highlighted that Ibarra had been cited for shoplifting by a Georgia police department, but that Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not issue a detainer for him and he was not taken into custody.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

View the original article here.