GOP-led immigration legislation passes House in first bill of new Congress, but faces uncertain future in Senate

The House voted on Tuesday to pass a GOP-led bill to require detention of undocumented migrants charged with certain crimes, but the measure faces an uncertain future in the Senate in a sign of the challenges facing Republicans despite controlling both chambers of Congress.

The House voted on Tuesday to pass a GOP-led bill to require detention of undocumented migrants charged with certain crimes, but the measure faces an uncertain future in the Senate in a sign of the challenges facing Republicans despite controlling both chambers of Congress. The decision by House Republicans to bring up the legislation, known as the “Laken Riley Act,” as the first bill of the new Congress highlights the central priority of the issue for the party. But the narrow margins in both chambers limit what Republicans can achieve, and it’s not clear if the bill will have the votes needed in the Senate, which is on track to take up the measure on Friday. The House vote was 264 to 159, with 48 Democrats voting with Republicans in support. When the legislation passed the chamber in the last session Congress, 37 Democrats voted with Republicans. Democrats are under pressure to show they will act on immigration, especially in the wake of Trump’s election in a campaign cycle where Republicans frequently painted their opponents as soft on the border and immigration policy. In the aftermath of Trump’s win, some Democrats have said the party must do more to address voter concerns over the issue. A critical mass of Democrats would have to join with Republicans to clear the 60-vote threshold required to advance most legislation in the Senate, a major constraint on the chamber’s new GOP majority and President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming agenda. The bill would require the detention of undocumented migrants charged with theft or burglary. The legislation is named after a Georgia student who was killed last year while she was out for a run. An undocumented migrant from Venezuela was convicted and sentenced to life without parole in the case that reignited a national debate over immigration and crime.