House passes Laken Riley Act, requiring deportation of undocumented immigrants for minor crimes

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed legislation that would require deportations of undocumented immigrants charged with minor crimes.

The 264-159 vote to pass the Laken Riley Act would change federal law to require Immigration Customs and Enforcement to detain and deport undocumented immigrants who have committed minor crimes, including shoplifting and burglary.

The bill was named after Laken Riley, a nursing student who was murdered in February last year by undocumented immigrant Jose Ibarra while jogging at the University of Georgia campus.

Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder. Before the killing, he was arrested and charged with shoplifting but was not detained.

“We’re going to detain and deport illegal aliens who commit burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, certainly vicious and violent crime, and I can’t believe anybody would be opposed to that,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement.

Congressman Michael Baumgartner, who voted in favor of the bill, released his own statement following the passage of the Laken Riley Act, stating the bill is a crucial step forward in “strengthening our national security.”

“Securing our border is one of the most pressing issues facing our nation today. I campaigned on the need for immigration reform, and I’m pleased that one of my first votes is on something as crucial as the Laken Riley Act,” Baumgartner states in his release.

Two of the eight Democrats who represent Washington in the House, Reps. Kim Schrier and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, were among 48 members of their party who voted along with all of the chamber’s Republicans to pass the bill.

The House first passed the Laken Riley Act last March, just weeks after the murder, with a 251 -170 vote. However, because Democrats were controlling the Senate, they did not take up the bill.

Although Republicans now control the Senate, the filibuster rule means that at least seven Democrats would need to join Republicans for the bill to pass the upper chamber and go to the president’s desk to become law.

Hector Quiroga, Spokane immigration attorney at Quiroga Law Office, said this proposal not only could affect undocumented immigrants but also those with legal status, who might become more “vulnerable” to broad or abusive interpretations of the law.

“Legally, it could set a concerning precedent by linking minor offenses to severe immigration consequences, blurring the line between criminal law and immigration law,” Quiroga said.

“Socially, it could increase perceptions of criminalizing immigrant communities, fostering fear and distrust of law enforcement.”

Politically, he said the proposal reflects the hardening of immigration rhetoric, using public safety as a justification for more restrictive measures, and will further polarize the immigration debate in the United States.

“For instance, rather than enhancing safety, this measure could discourage immigrant communities from reporting crimes or cooperating with law enforcement due to fear of immigration consequences,” Quiroga said.

“There is also the risk that the proposal could fuel a system prioritizing mass deportation over individualized case assessments, undermining principles of justice and due process.”

Similarly, Jennyfer Mesa, executive director of Latinos en Spokane, said this is only the beginning of President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan, and with or without this bill, ICE raids on people without prior conviction of a crime are already happening at a state level.

“We have protections with the state, but we also have ICE and Border Patrol who are conducting ICE raids,” Mesa said. “The last case that I’ve seen, the person had no prior conviction that was picked up from their home; we’re currently fighting the case to get them out of detention.”

Since winning the 2024 presidential race, Trump has continued promising to undertake “the largest deportation in the history of our country,” assembling a “deportation force” that would include federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Spokane police Chief Kevin Hall issued a news release on Dec. 20 after arising concerns from community members on mass deportation.

The release states that the Spokane Police Department does not enforce federal immigration laws or take action based on an individual’s immigration status.

“Our role is to serve and protect, ensuring that victims, witnesses, and community members feel safe to report crimes or seek assistance without fear,” the statement reads.

Mesa said the letter has brought her and other immigrants in Spokane comfort, especially now with the first immigration bill passing legislation, but is interested to see how the state will respond.

“We stand opposed to all of these anti-immigrant, xenophobic laws that are coming out from the federal government, and I know this is going to be one of many that are going to trickle down,” Mesa said. “What we need to worry about here is how we’re going to protect our community, how we’re going to protect workers in the state, because at the end of the day, this is impacting undocumented people, but it’s also impacting workers in our state, and mass deportation is a threat to all workers in our state.”

The Senate is said to vote Friday on the Laken Riley Act. It will need 60 votes to overcome the filibuster on its way to passage.

The Spokesman-Review reporter Orion Donovan Smith contributed to this reporting.