Border state Democrat Ruben Gallego backs GOP Laken Riley Act ahead of Senate vote

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., became the second Democrat to co-sponsor the Laken Riley Act, which will get a vote in the Senate on Friday after passing the House on Tuesday.

The measure would require memigration and customs control arrest and detain illegal immigrants who have committed theft, robbery or burglary until they are deported. Under the bill, states would also have the ability to take civil actions against members of the federal government who fail to enforce immigration law.

“Arizonians know the real consequences of the current border crisis,” Gallego told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We must give law enforcement the means to take action when illegal immigrants break the law, to prevent situations like what happened to Laken Riley.”

“I will continue to fight for the safety of Arizonans by pushing for comprehensive immigration reform and increased border security.”

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The the bill was re-introduced the 119th Congress by Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., in the House and Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., in the Senate. It was named after the 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was found dead on the University of Georgia campus in February. Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, was found guilty on 10 total charges, including one count of murder. He initially pleaded not guilty.

He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in November.

The House passed the bill264 to 159, Tuesday, with 48 Democrats joining Republicans.

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“I would like to thank Senator Gallego for co-sponsoring the bipartisan Laken Riley Act. This common-sense legislation would keep American families safe and every senator should support it,” Britt said in a statement after Gallego s incorporated into the bill.

The Alabama senator reintroduced the bill in the Senate on Tuesday after first introducing it last year. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, RSD, quickly cleared the measure for a floor vote on Friday.

Britt’s bill has the full support of all Senate Republicans and is now co-sponsored by Democratic Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Gallego.

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Gallego notably voted for the bill in the House last year, one of only a few dozen Democrats to do so.

The Arizona Democrat won the swing state Senate race in November, filling the seat vacated by former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., who did not seek re-election. Gallego defeated Trump ally Kari Lake in the election, despite President-elect Donald Trump carrying the battleground state.

On Tuesday, a spokesman for Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., revealed to Fox News Digital that he would vote for the measure. The Democrat is running for re-election in Michigan in 2026, another state won by Trump.

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Ultimately, Republicans will have a majority of 53 seats in the Senate. However, because Senator-elect Jim Justice of West Virginia delayed his swearing-in, the conference only has a 52-seat majority.

To overcome legislative obstruction, the bill needs 60 votes. So the fate of the measure is expected to come down to the votes of a handful of Democrats.

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In particular, the vote will put the spotlight on the Georgia Senate delegation, as Riley was one of its members. All eyes will be on Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who has his own re-election battle in 2026 in another Trump-won state.

Ossoff did not comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.