(Radio Iowa) – The first piece of legislation President Trump will sign into law includes provisions Iowa’s congressional delegation has sought for the past eight years. Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra is a sponsor of “Sarah’s Law” — named for a 21 year old Council Bluffs woman who died in Omaha just hours after she’d graduated from college. “In the early morning hours of January 31, 2016, Michelle and Scott Root received the call that that every parent never wants to hear. Their daughter Sarah had been killed in a car accident,” Feenstra said. “What’s worse is Sarah was killed by an illegal immigrant who was driving drunk — three times over the legal limit.”

Federal officials did not detain the illegal immigrant who police had arrested and charged with Root’s death and he disappeared after posting bail.  “This egregious loophole in the federal law must be closed so that victims like Sarah Root can reeeive justice,” Feenstra said, “and criminals can do the hard time they deserve.” Sarah’s Law requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to keep illegal immigrants in custody if they’ve been arrested and charged with murder or seriously injuring someone. “As a father of four, I can’t fathom the pain the Root family feels to this day. it’s truly heartbreaking,” Feenstra said. “…I look forward to President Trump signing this bill into law so illegal immigrants who break our laws are held accountable for their crimes.”

Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) speaks on U.S. House floor on Jan. 22, 2025. (Photo from Feenstra’s congressional office)

The proposal crafted after Sarah Root’s case was added onto the Lakin Riley Act, which requires ICE to detain illegal immigrants accused of theft or burglary. Lakin Riley is a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant who’d previously been arrested for shoplifting. The combination of these two bills passed the U-S Senate Monday and it cleared the U-S House today (Wednesday) on a 263-to-156 vote.