On January 7, the House of Representatives passed a bill with a vote of 264-159, gaining support from 48 Democrats.

On January 9, over half of the Democratic senators, alongside Republicans, moved forward with a controversial bill that mandates the detention of migrants living in the U.S. illegally who are suspected of committing crimes, even without charges being filed against them.

In a vote of 84-9, with 33 Democrats backing it, the Republican-majority Senate pushed the bill closer to debate. Named the "Laken Riley Act," the bill was introduced following the tragic death of a Georgia college student, Laken Riley, who was murdered by a Venezuelan national previously arrested for shoplifting.

The bill had already passed in the House on January 7, where it received support from 48 Democrats.

This Senate vote occurred just 11 days before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, a period marked by his focus on cracking down on illegal immigration and what he has termed "migrant crime."

Numerous studies have shown that immigrants do not commit crimes at a higher rate than native-born Americans. However, the partial support from Senate Democrats reflects the strong attention Trump has brought to this issue, influencing national discussions.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll in December revealed that immigration was the primary concern for Americans regarding Trump’s first 100 days in office, with 42% of respondents favoring Republicans' stance over Democrats' by 22%.

Before the vote, Republican Senator Katie Britt argued that if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had detained Riley's killer after his shoplifting arrest—as the new bill would require—Riley's family would be marking her 23rd birthday, not the anniversary of her tragic death.

Key Senate Democrats, including Chuck Schumer, supported the bill, as well as several others from competitive states like John Fetterman and Ruben Gallego, both of whom are co-sponsors, along with Senator Mark Kelly.

While the January 9 vote does not guarantee the bill will pass, it highlights the Democrats' expectation to push for amendments aimed at broader immigration reform. Schumer stated, "If we proceed with the bill, Democrats want a thorough debate, allowing us to propose amendments and pass the legislation."

Many of the Democrats backing the bill represent states that Trump won in the previous election, such as Senators Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin from Michigan and Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff from Georgia. Peters and Ossoff are among the third of senators up for reelection next year.

Opponents of the bill, however, argue that it could lead to racial profiling and undermine constitutional rights, particularly for immigrants. Democratic Representative Veronica Escobar criticized the bill for undermining due process for immigrants, including those covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects young undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

Trump has often used derogatory language to describe immigrants, particularly those in the U.S. illegally or awaiting asylum hearings, calling them "animals" in the context of alleged criminal actions.