The bill would require law enforcement to detain immigrants without legally status arrested for crimes such as theft and shoplifiting.

A crucial faction of politically vulnerable Democrats joined with Republicans to lift the Laken Riley bill to passage on a 263-156 vote tally.

The U.S. Senate has passed the Laken Riley Act in a 64 to 35 vote. The bill requires federal immigration authorities to detain illegal migrants, who are accused of theft-related crimes. The legislation is named after a Georgia nursing student who was killed by an illegal immigrant.

The acting deputy attorney general issued a memo directing the DOJ to significantly overhaul its approach to immigration enforcement.

The directives to Justice Department employees could face fierce blowback from legal advocacy groups and officials in cities and states led by Democrats.