ATLANTA — The United States Senate has passed the Laken Riley Act, sending the amended bill back to the House to be voted on again.
If passed, it would require the Department of Homeland Security to detain immigrants without legal status accused of theft, burglary, and other crimes.
The bill also creates a provision for the various attorneys general of the 50 states and the District of Columbia to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures to enforce immigration law, according to the legislative text.
The bill was named for the Georgia nursing student who was murdered last year by a Venezuelan man who was in the country illegally.
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Her death became a rallying cry for Trump’s White House campaign.
The Senate passed the act Monday by a vote of 64-35.
The House approved the original version of the bill and is expected to once again approve it swiftly.
As long as the bill passes the House, it will then go to President Trump’s desk to be signed and is expected to be the first piece of legislation he signs in his second term.
This is also the first bill passed by the Senate this session.
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