U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) was the only member of the Tennessee congressional delegation to vote against the Laken Riley Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The Laken Riley Act, filed as S.5, is named after Laken Riley, the 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was killed last year at the hands of an illegal Venezuelan immigrant while on a jog near campus.
The bill passed the House on Wednesday afternoon by a 263-156 vote and now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk.
Amended by the U.S. Senate earlier this week, the bill would require the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue a detainer for illegal aliens who are charged or cited with theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting; assault on law enforcement; and crimes that result in death or serious bodily injury to another person.
The bill would also ensure that states have the standing to bring civil action against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration law or violate the law.
Cohen, who represents Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, was among the 156 House Democrats who voted against the bill.
On January 11, Cohen explained his previous vote against the bill via a post on X, saying that the bill was a “sham” while maintaining that he is a “strong advocate for women and children.”
In the same post, Cohen said the bill, if it passed the Senate, would be “greatly improved,” however, he continued to vote against the legislation on Wednesday despite it passing the Senate with the support of 12 Democrats on Monday.
“If it passes the Senate, it will be greatly improved. This was just a political bill that the Republican threw out and they used the Georgia student who was the victim of that sicko’s crime,” Cohen said in the January 11 post.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Steve Cohen” by Steve Cohen.
