WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – President Trump has signed his first bill that targets undocumented criminal migrants.
The Laken Riley Act is now law and it will require law enforcement to detain and potentially deport undocumented immigrants who are accused of theft-related crimes. President Donald Trump held a signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House.
“This is a very important law. This is something that has brought Democrats and Republicans together. That’s not easy to do. Laken did it. America will never, ever forget Laken Hope Riley.”
The first bill to pass during the new Trump presidency zeroes in one of the President’s biggest priories: addressing illegal immigration. It’s called the Laken Riley Act, named after a nursing school student in Georgia who was killed by an undocumented immigrant.
On hand for the bill-signing in the East Room at the White House – Alexis Nungaray of Houston. Her 12-year-old daughter, Jocelyn, was killed by an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant in June.
“It means we are making progress we are making change, it’s been a matter of officially two weeks that he’s been in office and we’re already signed bills to help make change for border security and border safety. It is such an immense amount of relief to know that the President of the United States is doing what he said he would do and following through on his promises.”
The bill moved quickly through the new Congress with strong bipartisan support. Rep. Mike Collins (R.-Ga.) sponsored the original legislation in the House of Representatives.
“There were so many people behind her that were still being murdered and raped. And, I honestly, I think that’s one of the reasons that, even though her name is on the bill and on the law, that people understood this was not a partisan issue. This is a bipartisan problem. And this was a good bipartisan solution.”
The new law which takes effect immediately comes as the Trump Administration has taken a series of actions to ramp up immigration enforcement.
The President also signing an executive order that will allow for up to 30,000 undocumented migrants to be detained at the U.S. Navy Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
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