Laken Riley Act overcomes filibuster in Senate as Dems give GOP helping hand

The Laken Riley Act defeated the legislative filibuster during a procedural vote on Thursday, amassing more than 60 votes to advance it to a final vote. 

The measure sailed past the filibuster by a margin of 84-9. Democrats who voted against it were Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Andy Kim, D-N.J., Ed Markey, D-Mass., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Tina Smith, D-Minn., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

The immigration bill was quickly re-introduced in the new Congress by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., in the Senate and Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., in the House once the new Congress began. 

"Today’s vote on the Laken Riley Act is an important step forward in making our country safer, but there’s still more work to be done to get this commonsense legislation across the finish line," Britt said in a statement after the vote. 

"Laken’s horrific murder should never have happened. While we cannot bring Laken back, Congress can and must pass the Laken Riley Act to save American lives and prevent this tragedy from repeating itself. Congress has an obligation to Laken, her family, and to Americans in every corner of our country to get this bill passed and signed into law."

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The bill was named for a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was found dead on the University of Georgia's campus in February. Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, was found guilty of 10 total counts, including felony murder. He initially pleaded not guilty but was ultimately sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in November. 

Britt and Collins' bill would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest and detain illegal immigrants that have committed theft, burglary or shoplifting until they are deported. States would also be granted standing under the legislation to take civil action against members of the federal government that do not enforce immigration laws. 

The measure was blessed by new Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who teed it up to be the first major vote in the upper chamber. 

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With all Senate Republicans on board, it was initially unclear whether they would be able to get enough Democrats to advance the bill and beat the filibuster's 60-vote threshold. However, Democratic support began to snowball after Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was the first to say he would vote in favor of it. He and Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., both opted to become co-sponsors of the bill. 

Fox News had confirmed as of Thursday morning that at least 13 Democrats said they would vote to advance the bill. 

Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Gallego, Gary Peters, D-Mich., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Angus King, I-Maine, Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Fetterman, each said they would vote yes on the procedural hurdle. 

On the Senate floor, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., revealed he would also be voting to advance the bill. He explained that he would vote in favor of the cloture motion in order to have the opportunity for debate and for Democrats to offer amendments. The Democrat leader further said he believed there are enough votes for the measure to beat the filibuster. 

However, some Democrats maintained their resistance to the bill. "The idea of stopping violent criminals in our country who threaten our safety is something I support fully," Booker told reporters. "But there are so many flaws in this bill." 

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In addition, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he would likely support advancing the bill. 

This isn't a guarantee that the Democrats will all vote on final passage of the bill. However, the final vote only requires a simple majority to pass, whereas the cloture vote needed 60. 

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The successful filibuster defeat effectively ensures that the GOP's priority immigration bill will be sent to President-elect Trump's desk and ultimately become law. 

A handful of the Democrats that helped the measure advance are up for re-election in potentially competitive states come 2026. They include Ossoff, Shaheen, Peters and Hickenlooper.