Iowa’s U.S. Senators voted in support of the Laken Riley Act on Monday, the start of a crackdown on illegal immigration just hours after President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The bill, which passed 64 to 35 with 12 Democrats in support, would strengthen immigration enforcement by requiring the detention and eventual deportation of undocumented immigrants who are convicted of burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, or crimes that cause serious bodily injury or harm. The bill also gives state attorneys general the ability to sue the federal government if it is not properly enforcing immigration law.
The Laken Riley Act is in memory of Laken Riley, of Woodstock, Georgia, who was raped and murdered by Jose Ibarra in 2024, who illegally entered the U.S. in September 2022.
Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s amendment to the bill added crimes that cause serious bodily injury or harm. Ernst’s amendment added provisions from her bill dubbed Sarah’s Law that she has advocated for since 2016. The amendment to the Laken Riley Act passed the chamber 75 to 24 with 20 Democrats voting in support of the bill. Ernst voted in support of the final amended version of the bill.
“Combined, these actions will close the loopholes that for too long have allowed murderers — who come here illegally — to roam free in our communities and commit more crimes,” Ernst said in remarks on the Senate floor advocating for her amendment. “These two young women, Sarah Root and Laken Riley, and their families deserve justice. And folks, we can make this happen tonight.”
Sarah’s Law is in memory of Iowan Sarah Root, of Council Bluffs, who was killed by a drunk driver in Omaha, Nebraska. The drunk driver, Eswin Mejia, illegally entered the U.S. in 2013 and was released on bail and fled. Ernst introduced Sarah’s law later that year.
The bill now heads back to the U.S. House for its final approval before it is sent to the president.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, also voted in support of both the amendment and the final bill. Grassley said the passage of the bill was a welcome development in U.S. immigration policy.
“Republicans are swiftly delivering on our promise to restore law and order to our nation,” Grassley said in a news release Monday. “This bill will go a long way to ensure criminal illegal immigrants who steal from, harm or kill Americans face justice.”
Trump signs executive order requiring federal employees to work in person
President Donald Trump signed multiple executive orders Monday, just hours after he took office, including ones requiring federal workers to return to work in person and freezing all federal hiring.
Trump has pledged to rightsize the federal government and has anointed a new Department of Governmental Efficiency, or DOGE, to review the federal workforce and federal spending as he prepares for spending and tax cuts.
Ernst, a longtime advocate for government efficiency and co-chair of the Senate DOGE caucus, applauded the move in a statement on Monday.
“For years, I’ve been exposing the broken federal workforce and fighting to make Washington squeal,” Ernst said. “With President Trump back in the White House, taxpayers everywhere see he is already delivering on his promises to drain the swamp on day one. Today is a tremendous step in getting Washington back to work and serving the American people, and we are just getting started.”
Ernst has claimed that only 6 percent of the telework-eligible workforce, which is less than half of the federal workforce, telework full-time. A TV-9 News fact check found that only 10 percent of federal workers who are telework eligible work remotely full-time since they do not have an office space to report to. Other telework-eligible employees work with management to decide their work schedules and which days to report to the office.
Ernst has long led criticism of the Washington bureaucracy running for office on a pledge to make Washington bureaucrats “squeal.”
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to remove inaccurate information regarding the amount of federal employees who telework. The DI regrets this error.