Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) attempted to pass the Laken Riley Act through the U.S. Senate, but was blocked by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Democrat Whip.
Senator Budd joined Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) to introduce the Senate version of the bill yesterday.
The Laken Riley Act would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal aliens who commit theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting offenses and would mandate that these aliens are detained until they are removed from the United States. The legislation also empowers states attorneys general to sue the Secretary of Homeland Security for taking actions on immigration that harm their states or their citizens.
The bill is named after 22-year-old University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was murdered by an illegal alien on campus last month, who had been previously cited for theft and shoplifting but was released.
The House of Representatives passed the bill on March 7, 2024 in a bipartisan vote of 251-70 including 37 Democrats.
In a speech on the Senate floor today, Senator Budd said:
“Bottom line: If this bill were in place before February 22nd, Laken Riley would be alive today. The House of Representatives passed the bill last week in a bipartisan vote of 251-70, including 37 Democrats. In a time of division and polarization, the Laken Riley Act brought both sides together. It is our hope that we can learn from this horrific situation and make some positive change. Let’s pass the Laken Riley Act today.”
After Senate Democrats blocked the bill, Senator Budd said:
“I am deeply disappointed in my Democrat colleagues for objecting to a bill that would have saved Laken Riley’s life. The Democrat party’s commitment to open borders is causing otherwise preventable tragedies to occur again and again.”
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