Washington D.C. – In a bipartisan effort, U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) have introduced the Laken Riley Act, serving as the Senate Companion to H.R. 7511, initially proposed by Representative Mike Collins (R-Ga.). The proposed legislation seeks to address concerns related to illegal aliens who commit specific criminal offenses and emphasizes the enforcement of immigration laws.
The Laken Riley Act aims to compel U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal aliens engaged in theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting offenses. The proposed law further mandates the detention of these individuals until they are removed from the United States to prevent any potential reoffending or commission of further crimes.
Additionally, the legislation proposes that states have the legal standing to bring civil actions against federal officials who fail to enforce immigration laws or violate existing statutes.
This legislative initiative recently gained momentum as it successfully passed the House in a bipartisan vote of 251-170. Senators Britt and Budd are now urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to expedite the process by bringing the Laken Riley Act to the Senate floor for a vote.
The senators argue that the bill is a response to what they perceive as preventable tragedies, such as the heartbreaking murder of Laken Riley, which they attribute to what they term as “willful open border policies” by President Biden and his administration. The legislation is presented as a commonsense approach to ensure the detention and deportation of criminal illegal aliens, aiming to prevent similar tragic incidents affecting American families.
Senator Katie Britt emphasized the urgency of the Laken Riley Act, stating, “Make no mistake – Laken Riley’s heartbreaking murder was a direct, preventable consequence of willful open border policies by President Biden and his administration. This commonsense legislation would ensure ICE detains and deports criminal illegal aliens, so more innocent American families do not have to face this kind of unimaginable tragedy.”
Senator Ted Budd echoed similar sentiments, stressing the need to protect citizens from what they describe as “lawless, open border policies” and emphasizing that the proposed act provides a necessary avenue for states to seek relief in federal court.
Representative Mike Collins, the original sponsor of the legislation, commended Senator Britt’s leadership in pushing the vital legislation through the Senate. He expressed gratitude for the bipartisan support garnered in the House and emphasized the importance of preventing similar tragedies in the future.
Notable co-sponsors of the Laken Riley Act include Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and a roster of Republican senators from various states. The legislation aims to address concerns about immigration enforcement and provides states with legal recourse in instances of federal non-compliance with immigration laws.
