By an overwhelming 84-9 vote the Laken Riley Act overcame a Senate filibuster and will advance to a final vote. (Riley and her attacker, Jose Ibarra, are shown in the photo above.)
The measure which easily passed the House last week, is named after a nursing student who was killed by an illegal alien while jogging on the University of Georgia's campus.
The measure would require federal immigration authorities to arrest illegal aliens that have committed theft, burglary or shoplifting until they are deported. States would also be given standing to take civil action against members of the federal government that do not enforce immigration laws.
Ira Mehlman is media director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform. He feels confident about final approval.
"Only nine Democrats voted against moving the bill forward, which seems to indicate that when it comes up for final passage, it should pass rather easily. Even Chuck Schumer voted in favor of closure. So it's certainly a hopeful sign, and it seems to be a recognition on the part of the Democrats that the American public is not going to tolerate having illegal aliens come into the country, commit crimes and be allowed to remain here."
Political ramifications in play
Mehlman says some senators like Democrat Jon Ossoff are up for re-election in 2026.
"Senator Ossoff in Georgia, he's the home state senator for Laken Riley. The crime occurred in Georgia, and so people are certainly concerned about it in that state. All politicians make decisions based on which way the political wind is blowing, but they also make decisions based on common sense sometimes."
