ATLANTA — The U.S. House passed a resolution Thursday centering on the death of Laken Riley.
It was introduced as H.R.7511, stating it would "require the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody" undocumented immigrants who have been charged with theft.
What it does: Read the full resolution here
An afternoon vote in the House saw the resolution pass 251-170, with 11 members not voting. The vote for the Republican-sponsored resolution included support from 37 Democrats.
The resolution was introduced by Georgia Rep. Mike Collins, whose district includes Athens.
The bill aims to toughen penalties for undocumented individuals accused of criminal activities, after Riley's accused killer Jose Ibarra had been cited, but not arrested, for shoplifting in December.
"While we can't bring Laken back, we must now turn our focus to doing everything we can to prevent this from happening to another American," Rep. Collins said in a statement.
The resolution also gives state attorney generals the authority to litigate against the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security if they allege a "violation of the detention and removal requirements" of the resolution.
The resolution must now go to the Democrat-controlled Senate, where its prospects are unclear.