House approves Laken Riley Act, sending first bill to Trump's desk

Washington — The House approved the Laken Riley Act on Wednesday, signing off on the Senate's changes to the legislation aimed at expanding the federal government's mandate to detain immigrants who are in the country illegally.

The House passed the legislation in a 263 to 156 vote. It now heads to President Trump's desk, where it's expected to be the first piece of legislation he signs in his new term.

The bill is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant last year. It would expand mandatory detention to include noncitizens convicted of or charged with burglary, larceny, theft or shoplifting, as well as those who admit to committing those crimes. The legislation also includes a provision that empowers state attorneys general who claim their states or residents have been harmed by immigration policies to sue the federal government.