WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- The very first bill the new Congress is considering focuses on the issue of illegal immigration. It's called the 'Laken Riley Act' and passed a crucial hurdle in the Senate on Thursday.  In remarks on the floor, Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), noted that Friday, January 10 would have been Laken Riley's 23rd birthday but last year the Georgia nursing student was killed by Jose Ibarra, an undocumented immigrant.  Now Britt is one of the Republicans leading the fight to pass the Laken Riley Act. The bill would give immigration officials the power to detain illegal migrants who are charged with theft related crimes, which would have included Ibarra.  "We're going to make sure that no family has to experience the heartbreak that Laken's family is enduring," Britt said.  The House already passed the bill. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) says it is past time that his colleagues do the same.  "The primary role of the federal government is to protect its citizens, we owe it to Laken Riley," Grassley said.  On Thursday, senators voted to move the bill forward and start debate on it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) says that's a critical first step.  "Democrats want to have a robust debate where we can offer amendments and improve the bill," Schumer said.  The Republican majority unanimously supports the legislation, but it needs 60 votes to become law. That means at least seven Senate Democrats would have to vote to pass it too.  "Every single member of Congress should be able to get behind this purely common sense bill that will make our country and communities safer," Britt said.  Some Democrats say they have concerns with the current bill, like Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). "There are provisions in today's legislation that I would never vote for in the final package," Wyden said.  Other Democrats have committed to voting for it. One of them, Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.), says he thinks it will be enough to pass.  "If we as a party, as Democrats, can't come up with 7 or 8 votes then I would describe that as one of the reasons we lost," Fetterman said.  The final vote in the Senate could happen as soon as next week.