The Laken Riley Act

Written By: Anna Zhang

The murder of one woman—turned into a countrywide political debate. The murder of Laken Riley in 2024 caught the attention of the whole nation, leading to the signing of a new legislation and debates for months to come.

Laken Riley, a 22 year old nursing graduate
Source: Kanaan Rogers

Background

Laken Riley was a 22 year old nursing graduate of the University of Georgia when she decided to go on a run on campus on February 24, 2024. A popular spot, running during the day, and location shared to friends and family—how did this run all go wrong? Hours later, her body was discovered in a wooded area, with evidence showing signs of being brutally attacked. Jose Antonio Ibarra, her attacker, is a 26 year old undocumented migrant at the time of the murder. According to his prosecutor, the Venezuelan “went hunting for females”, with the intent to harass them. Upon seeing Laken, Ibarra then tried to forcibly remove her top. Riley fought back, leading to the escalation of Ibarra striking Riley multiple times over the head with a rock. While she fought valiantly, Ibarra killed her in the end, though leaving multiple pieces of evidence behind. He was charged with murder and aggravated assault with intent to rape.

Jose Ibarra at his trial in Athens, Georgia
Source: Arvin Temkar

However, Ibarra’s background sparked a controversial debate, sending politicians into a fury. The 26 year old entered the United States illegally in 2022, who was then arrested. According to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), he was “paroled and released for further processing”. This would not be the last time he ran into trouble with the law. Just a year later, he was arrested by the New York City police for injuring a young child and a violation in motor vehicle license, but was released before a detainer could be issued. He escaped yet again.

A year later, he killed Laken Riley– a young woman with a lifetime of opportunities ahead of her, and loved ones who cared about her. This time, he was arrested and sentenced to a lifetime in prison without parole.

If Ibarra had been detained and picked up in New York City, Riley would still be alive. According to President Trump, the Biden administration’s immigration policies were to blame for Riley’s death. Her murder was no longer just a regular case—it led to a political outrage and debate that would follow until today.

Signing of the Act

When President Trump took office in January 2025, his first legislation signed into law was the Laken Riley Act—named after the murder of Riley. Homeland Security states that this law “mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury”. In other words, immigrants in the United States illegally will be detained and/or deported if they commit a crime, or are accused of committing one. Along with that, the bill also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government for crimes or harm caused by the failure to uphold policy, such as detaining and deporting illegal immigrants. The bill was passed overwhelmingly, with more than ⅔ of the House of Representatives supporting this legislation.

President Trump after signing the Laken Riley Act.
Source: Roberto Schmidt

The Opposing Side

Why, then, do some people oppose this act? Most Democrats oppose it, believing that this bill will strip due process rights for immigrants or further lead to stripping immigrants of their rights. In addition, this bill is not a cheap one to implement—$27 billion alone was put into this act in the first year. This far surpasses the annual budget for ICE, which is approximately $8 billion. An anonymous Democrat senator stated his worries, “There is huge concern because we’re talking about the mandatory imprisonment based on an accusation without a person even being charged, let alone being convicted, and this applies to kids. It’s a sweeping assault on core principles…”. Others argue that this act fails to address the root causes of crime or improve border processing systems. According to data collected by CNN, there is no connection between the rise of crimes and immigrants. Is it really fair to create such a polarizing act based on one particular case?

While some believe the act to be a necessary step to protect Americans, others view it as a dangerous precedent to strip immigrants of their rights. Since the mere 6 months President Trump has taken office, a number of bills have already been passed that target the deportation of immigrants. ICE has deported almost 100,000 immigrants since the start of President Trump’s term, leading many to fear for their families and sparking hundreds of protests all over the country. The Laken Riley Act may have been the first legislation signed during his term that targets immigrants, but it certainly will not be the last. Only time will tell the direction immigration reformation goes, whether for better or worse.