President Donald Trump greenlit the Laken Riley Act on Wednesday. The landmark legislation became the first bill to be signed into law in the second Trump administration.

The bill was named after a 22-year-old nursing student who was senselessly murdered by an illegal alien in February 2024 while she was jogging on the University of Georgia campus. In honor of Riley, the law requires the detention of illegal migrants who are charged with theft-related and violent crimes as a preventative measure.

Many believe the law could have saved Riley’s life since her assailant, Jose Ibarra, had been arrested in New York City just a few months before her murder.

‘I believe this nation is tired of leaders in DC prioritizing fighting over governing.’

After signing the bill into law, Trump handed the pen to Riley’s mother, who was in attendance.

“This is something that has brought Democrats and Republicans together,” Trump said in the East Wing of the White House. “Laken did it. America will never ever forget Laken Hope Riley.”

The bill passed both the House and the Senate with bipartisan support, although most Democrats voted to block the legislation. The Laken Riley Act also passed the House in the 118th Congress, but then-Majority Leader Chuck Schumer never brought it to the Senate floor for a vote.

“I believe a secure border creates a more secure nation, and it’s just common sense,” Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who voted to advance the legislation, said in a statement Wednesday. “I believe a stronger border is fully compatible with my commitment to immigration.”

“I also believe our nation should protect our Dreamers,” Fetterman added. “I believe this nation is tired of leaders in D.C. prioritizing fighting over governing. I believe Pennsylvania elected me to fight for a better commonwealth and to work with both sides of the aisle.”

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