The mother of murdered Georgia nursing student Laken Riley thanked President Donald Trump for not forgetting about her daughter Wednesday, as he signed immigration legislation named after Laken into law.
Speaking at the White House as the Laken Riley Act became law, Allyson Phillips spoke of her late daughter’s commitment to doing good for others, almost a year after she was killed by an illegal immigrant close to her college campus in Athens.
“Our family will forever be grateful for the prayers of the people across our nation, and for helping get this legislation into law,” Phillips said. “We also want to thank President Trump, for the promises he made to us. He said he would secure our borders and that he would never forget about Laken, and he hasn’t.”
Why It Matters
The Laken Riley Act is the first piece of immigration legislation to be passed by the new Trump administration, seeking to increase incarcerations of illegal immigrants accused of committing theft or burglary offenses.
First introduced during the last Congress, its passing marks a shift in efforts to change immigration policy after voters showed widespread support for reform, both during the presidential election and in the months following.
President Donald Trump listens as Allyson Phillips, mother of Laken Riley, speaks before he signs the Laken Riley Act in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump listens as Allyson Phillips, mother of Laken Riley, speaks before he signs the Laken Riley Act in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C. AP Photo/Evan Vucci
What To Know
The bill, spearheaded by Republican Alabama Senator Katie Britt and Republican Georgia Representative Mike Collins, covers two key areas: creating new mandates for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain more immigrants, and allowing state attorneys general to sue the Department of Homeland Security if they believe immigration laws are not being enforced.
Britt, who introduced the bill last year, named the legislation after Riley, who was killed by Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national who had been previously detained for minor offenses and then released.
The president and Republicans in Congress argued the bill would make communities safer by introducing the mandate on ICE to detain those accused of theft, burglary, larceny, assaulting a police officer, or crimes that injure or kill someone. Those against the bill argued it would take the focus off violent offenders and stretch already-limited ICE resources.
The Laken Riley Act eventually passed Congress with some Democratic Party support, including Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, who attended Wednesday’s signing at the White House. Fetterman and other Democrats argued that lawmakers needed to act to deal with violent immigrant criminals, despite the concerns raised by others in their party, including New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
President Donald Trump holds the document after signing the Laken Riley Act during an event in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump holds the document after signing the Laken Riley Act during an event in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C. AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Before signing the bill, Trump said this was just one part of his plan to tackle illegal immigration, and repeated promises to carry out mass deportations and tighten border security. He also announced plans to house 30,000 deportees at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
Laken Riley’s death became one of a handful of cases of illegal immigrant crime used as examples of what the party saw as failed border policies under former President Joe Biden. Riley’s family appeared alongside relatives of other victims of immigrant crime both during the campaign and at Wednesday’s event.
Speaking at the White House podium, Phillips said she trusted that Trump would deliver on his promises to tackle immigration. She also said she had hope that she would see her daughter again, thanks to her faith in Jesus Christ.
“There is no amount of change that will ever bring back our precious Laken,” she said. “Our only hope moving forward is that her life saves lives.”
What People Are Saying
Senator Britt on X: “Laken’s tragic death sparked a movement that will help prevent similar tragedies and protect American families. This is how we honor her memory.”
Representative Ocasio-Cortez in the House of Representatives, January 23: “In this bill, if a person is so much as accused of a crime, if someone wants to point a finger and accuse someone of shoplifting, they will be rounded up and put into a private detention camp and signed and sent out for deportation without a day in court, without a moment to assert their right and without a moment to assert the privilege of innocent until proven guilty without being found guilty of a crime that will be rounded up. That is what is inside this bill, a fundamental suspension of a core American value, and that is why I rise to oppose it. If you’re a Dreamer, all someone has to do is point a finger and you will be rounded up.”
President Trump speaking Wednesday: “To each of these angel families, we love you and we stand in awe of your courage and your strength. Many of the angel families here today were betrayed by the last administration and with its heartless, and foolish, and really very arrogant and dumb policies.”
What’s Next
GOP lawmakers are also pursuing other immigration legislation, including the Justice for Jocelyn Act aimed at maximizing ICE detention centers rather than allowing non-violent immigrants to be released into communities.
