
President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act Wednesday, expanding federal authority to detain and deport immigrants in the U.S. illegally who are charged with crimes. Named for 22-year-old Laken Riley, who was killed by a Venezuelan man in the U.S. illegally, the law passed Congress with some bipartisan support. The law requires detention for immigrants arrested or charged with certain crimes and allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over immigration decisions.
Trump also announced plans to send the “worst criminal aliens” to Guantanamo Bay, referring to it as a secure detention site. The proposal drew backlash from migrant rights advocates and the Cuban government, with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemning it as “an act of brutality.” Critics warn that Guantanamo’s history of indefinite detention and abuse raises serious human rights concerns, and the ACLU further warned it could enable indefinite detention without conviction.