President Trump Signs First Bill Into Law

If this act had been the law of the land, he never would have had the opportunity to kill her.

Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) on the Laken Riley Act, named for Laken Riley, a nursing student killed in Georgia in Feb 2024 by a man who was in America illegally.

Why It Matters: The man convicted for murdering Laken Riley had several interactions with law enforcement: once at the U.S. border (arrested for coming across the border illegally and released to pursue his immigration case in court), once in New York City (arrested for child endangerment for riding a scooter without a license, with a child with no helmet) and once in Georgia (arrested for shoplifting). This law would have required law enforcement to detain (and potentially deport) someone with this criminal profile. While the bill received bipartisan support in the House and the Senate, critics say it violates human rights for allowing the detainment and potential deportation of someone without a trial.

Read More: What is the Laken Riley Act? A look at the first bill Trump will sign (The Associated Press)

Trump plans to sign the Laken Riley Act into law as his administration’s first piece of legislation (ABC News)