WASHINGTON—President Donald J. Trump, on Jan. 29, signed into law the Laken Riley Act, the first piece of legislation to receive his assent during his second term.
The act is named after the late Laken Hope Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University in Athens, Georgia. Riley was murdered on Feb. 22, 2024, by José Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan national who entered the United States illegally in 2022.
Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, thanked Trump and lawmakers who sponsored the bill in emotional remarks at the White House signing ceremony.
“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,” Phillips said through tears….