Washington: The US House of Representatives approved the Lacan Riley Act, a bill requiring the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft or violent crimes.<\/p>\n
The legislation, named after a Georgia nursing student murdered by a Venezuelan man last year, is the first major immigration measure President Donald Trump can enact as part of his broader crackdown on illegal immigration.<\/p>\n
The bill passed with bipartisan support, garnering 263 votes in favor and 156 against, including 46 Democrats. Its approval highlights a significant shift in the political debate on immigration following Trump\u2019s election victory.<\/p>\n
“For decades, it has been nearly impossible for our government to agree on solutions to problems at our border and within our country,” said Republican Senator Katie Britt, calling it the “most significant immigration bill” in nearly three decades.<\/p>\n
While the legislation mandates a significant expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, it does not allocate additional funding for its implementation.<\/p>\n
Political and public response<\/p>\n
Trump has intensified immigration enforcement through executive orders aimed at securing the US-Mexico border and deporting millions of undocumented immigrants.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, he also repealed refugee resettlement policies and announced plans to sue local law enforcement officials who fail to comply with his immigration directives.<\/p>\n
Republican leaders have made immigration enforcement a legislative priority. The House originally passed a version of the bill last year as a rebuke to then-President Joe Biden\u2019s handling of the southern border, but it stalled in the Democratic-controlled Senate.<\/p>\n
This year, with Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress, the bill passed the Senate with 12 Democratic votes and returned to the House, where 48 Democrats supported it.<\/p>\n
Public opinion on immigration enforcement remains divided.<\/p>\n
A recent NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and Associated Press survey found that while a majority of Americans support deporting immigrants convicted of violent crimes, only 37% favor deporting undocumented immigrants without criminal convictions.<\/p>\n
“While the bill is not perfect, it sends a clear message that we believe the perpetrators should be deported,” said New York Democrat Representative Tom Suozzi, who encouraged his party to support stricter enforcement measures.<\/p>\n
The legislation’s implementation now hinges on funding approval, a challenge Republican leaders face as they push to realize Trump\u2019s sweeping immigration plans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Washington: The US House of Representatives approved the Lacan Riley Act, a bill requiring the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft or violent crimes. The legislation, named after a Georgia nursing student murdered by a Venezuelan man last year, is the first major immigration measure President Donald Trump can enact as part of his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34469,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,60],"tags":[3645,3646],"class_list":["post-34468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-edu-immi","category-international","tag-charged-with-theft-or-violent-crimes","tag-us-house-passes-bill-mandating-detention-of-undocumented-immigrants"],"yoast_head":"\n