BREAKING: Senate passes Laken Riley Act—33 Dems vote against it

The Laken Riley Act passed in the Senate with a vote of 64 to 35 on Monday evening. The act, that is likely to be signed into law by President Donald Trump, will force the Department of Homeland Security to detain illegal immigrants who are charged with theft-related crimes. It is the idea of "broken windows" policing taken to the problem of illegal immigration, where a person charged with a small crime could be on the path to commit greater ones.

33 of the 35 "no" votes were Democrats with two coming from independent Sens. Bernie Sanders and Angus King. Ahead of the vote on Monday, Trump was sworn into office, who focused on the topic of illegal immigration and border security in his inauguration speech. The bill passed in the House earlier in January with a vote of 265 to 159. All of the "no" votes came from Democrats. The amended version of the act will have to go back to the House for another vote. 
 

Laken Riley was killed by Jose Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela who also had suspected connections to the Tren de Aragua gang. Ibarra was convicted in November and sentenced to life behind bars despite many calls for the death penalty. His attorneys have appealed on procedural grounds.

The bill in the House was introduced by Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), but in the Senate was sponsored by Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL). Cloture on the bill was invoked ahead of the final vote, meaning only a simple majority would need to vote in favor of the bill for it to pass without having to overcome the hurdle of filibusters.

Britt said of the bill ahead of its passage, “This bipartisan, bicameral legislation will save lives, and it will help prevent another American family from feeling the pain Laken Riley’s loved ones feel every day."

"I appreciate my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who came together to protect our communities," she added in a press release.