WASHINGTON, Jan 23, (AP): The House on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that requires the detainment of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes, marking the first legislation that President Donald Trump can sign as Congress, with some bipartisan support, swiftly moved in line with his plans to crackdown on illegal immigration. Passage of the Laken Riley Act, which was named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered last year by a Venezuelan man, shows just how sharply the political debate over immigration has shifted to the right following Trump's election victory.

Immigration policy has often been one of the most entrenched issues in Congress, but a crucial faction of 46 politically vulnerable Democrats joined with Republicans to lift the strict proposal to passage on a 263-156 vote tally. "For decades, it has been almost impossible for our government to agree on solutions for the problems at our border and within our country,” said Sen Katie Britt, an Alabama Republican.

She called the legislation "perhaps the most significant immigration enforcement bill” to be passed by Congress in nearly three decades. Still, the bill would require a massive ramp-up in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's capabilities, but does not include any new funding. Meanwhile, the new president has launched a slew of executive orders intended to seal off the border of Mexico to immigration and ultimately deport millions of immigrants without permanent legal status in the US.

On Wednesday, Trump also canceled refugee resettlement and his administration has signaled intentions to prosecute local law enforcement officials who do not enforce his new immigration policies. Republican congressional leaders have made it clear they intend to follow suit, though their toughest challenge will be finding a way to approve the funding to actually implement Trump’s hard-line plans. "What he’s doing is kickstarting what will ultimately be our legislative agenda,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. House Republicans initially passed the legislation last year with support from 37 Democrats in a move that was intended to deliver a political rebuke to then-President Joe Biden’s handling of the southern border.

It then languished in the Democratic-controlled Senate. This year, Republicans, now with control of both congressional chambers, have made it their top priority. When it came before the Senate, 12 Democrats voted in favor of passage, and when the House voted on a version of the bill earlier this month, 48 Democrats supported it. The vast majority of U.S. adults favor deporting immigrants convicted of violent crimes, according to a recent survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. However, only about 37% of U.S. adults are in favor of deporting immigrants in the U.S. illegally who have not been convicted of a crime.