Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) voted to advance the Laken Riley Act, a bill to secure the southern border and protect Americans. Senator Fischer is a cosponsor of the bill, and its companion version passed the House of Representatives earlier this week. The Laken Riley Act will now proceed to a final vote in the U.S. Senate.

The legislation, led by U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), will require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal immigrants who have been charged with or convicted of theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting. It will also give states standing to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration law.

The bill is named in honor of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant and repeat criminal offender who had previously been detained and released.

“Laken Riley deserved to live. But because of the Democrats’ pitiful neglect of our border security, she was murdered by a man who should never have been in this country,” said Senator Fischer. “Our bill will honor Laken’s all-too-short life by securing our nation against criminal illegal immigrants like her killer.”

In addition to Senators Fischer and Britt, the Laken Riley Act is cosponsored by a bipartisan group of 52 of their U.S. Senate colleagues. It was advanced today by a bipartisan vote of 84-9.