US Congress passes Laken Riley Bill to tighten border control

US House speaker Mike Johnson. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA

By Emmanuel Akyereko

The United States of America Congress has passed the Liken Riley Bill to tighten border control measure as the Donald Trump administration crackdown on illegal immigration in the US.

The bill, which received an overwhelming vote in its favour, is awaiting the signature of President Trump.

Republican whip, Thomas Earl Emmer Jr., posted the final vote on X, showing that it passed with 263 votes in favour to 156 against, with 14 members not voting.

“Under this bill, DHS must detain an individual who (1) is unlawfully present in the United States or did not possess the necessary documents when applying for admission; and (2) has been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admits to having committed acts that constitute the essential elements of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.”

The bill has now empowered Department of Homeland Security officials to arrest and detain illegal migrants or immigrants.

The Laken Riley Act is named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered last year by a Venezuelan man.

This law also simply means that DHS officials can arrest, detain and initiate procedures to deport unauthorised migrants in the United States.