Laken Riley Act Advances to Final Vote in Senate

The bill awaits final passage and the signature of incoming President-elect Donald Trump.

The U.S. Capitol building on the Opening Day of the 119th Congress in Washington on Jan. 3, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

WASHINGTON—The Senate on Jan. 17 advanced a bill that requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain illegal immigrants arrested for theft, burglary, or shoplifting, setting it up for a final vote.

That bill, the Laken Riley Act, also allows states to sue the federal government if it fails to enforce immigration policy.