Donald Trump Signs Laken Riley Act into Law During Emotional Ceremony

Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law on Wednesday, requiring the detention of illegal immigrants charged with certain crimes.

The legislation was named after the 22-year-old nursing student who was brutally murdered while out for a jog on her University of Georgia campus by a Venezuelan migrant, Jose Antonio Ibarra, who had entered the United States illegally and racked up a criminal record.

The signing was part of an emotional ceremony in which Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, heartbreakingly paid tribute to her daughter. And on Wednesday’s show, Megyn was joined by The Daily Mail’s Michael Knowles to discuss the legislation and what comes next as the Trump administration continues to act on its “mandate” from the American people.

The Laken Riley Act

Passed with bipartisan support, the Laken Riley Act mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury.

Such a law could have kept Riley’s killer off the streets. Ibarra was caught entering the U.S. illegally near El Paso, Texas, in September 2022. He was released by Biden administration officials and made his way to New York City, which is a sanctuary city. After he was arrested for child endangerment in NYC, he joined family in Georgia. There, he was apprehended for stealing from a Walmart before killing Riley.

“Under the law I am signing today, the Department of Homeland Security will be required to detain all illegal aliens who have been arrested for theft, burglary, larceny, shoplifting, assaulting a police officer, murder, or any crime that results in death or serious injury,” Trump said at the signing. “In addition, for the first time ever, this act gives state governments the ability to sue the federal government for immediate relief if any future administration ever again refuses to enforce the immigration laws of the United States.”

Riley’s mother also spoke at the emotional event and delivered a powerful message:

PHILLIPS: …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. He’s a man of his word and we trust that he will fight for the American people. Most importantly, I want to thank our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, because without his sacrifices, Laken’s story would have ended on that horrific day that she was taken from us. But because of him, we can continue living knowing that we will see Laken again. There’s no amount of change that will ever bring back our precious Laken. Our hope moving forward is that her life saves lives. We’re so thankful that her passion for helping others and her legacy for doing good in the name of Jesus Christ will carry on. Thank you.

Megyn noted that there were several touching moments between Trump and Phillips during the ceremony. “When she teared up, President Trump, who was standing behind her, reached out and rubbed her back,” she said. “It was just a small, sweet, kind gesture from a man who made sure that young woman did not die in vain.” He also handed her the pen he used to sign the law.

Restoring Order

While the legislation will go a long way toward improving public safety, Megyn said there is still more that needs to be done. “He gave her the pen that he signed that bill into law with. That’s what [Phillips] has now. She has that instead of her daughter. It’s meaningful, but it’s not enough,” she explained. “What really needs to happen is the Democrats who put these policies into place – and they are still in place in many cities and states like the one I grew up in New York – need to be punished. They need to be removed from power. And this can never be allowed to happen again.”

Knowles said it is fitting that the first bill Trump signed into law is one that tackles the biggest issues he ran on, immigration and law and order. “The Democrats had made a deal. They said, ‘Look, we are going to keep the border open. We know that’s going to bring some criminals in, but it’s going to help us electorally,” he said. “That was the calculation that the Democrats made… and Trump said, ‘No, no more.'”

He also expects more from the Trump administration moving forward because of how the 2024 election was one. “The reason that Trump can do this is because he received a mandate from the American people. Things had spun so far out of control,” Knowles concluded. “People voted for him on a gamble, and he has proven them right. He has proven himself worthy of their trust.”

You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Knowles by tuning in to episode 994 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.