Washington, D.C. — Today, Senators Ted Budd (R-NC) and Katie Britt (R-AL) led a group of 34 Senators to introduce the Laken Riley Act.
The bill would require U.S. 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.
Sen. Budd said in a statement:
“States should be able to protect their citizens from the Biden administration’s lawless, open border policies by seeking relief in federal court. That’s why I am joining Senator Britt to introduce the Senate version of the Laken Riley Act. We simply cannot tolerate any more senseless tragedies like this one. What happened to Laken Riley should never happen to any American citizen.”
Sen. Britt said:
“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. I am grateful for Representative Collins’ strong leadership and for Senator Budd’s partnership in introducing this Senate companion bill. Senator Schumer should bring this bill to the Senate floor immediately.”
The Laken Riley Act is co-sponsored by:
- Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC)
- Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL)
- Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Sen. John Thune (R-SD)
- Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC)
- Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)
- Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT)
- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
- Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)
- Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO)
- Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)
- Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR)
- Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID)
- Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO)
- Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
- Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
- Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN)
- Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN)
- Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL)
- Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)
- Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)
- Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA)
- Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE)
- Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS)
- Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
- Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE)
- Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD)
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
- Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID)
- Sen. John Boozman (R-AR)
- Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
- Sen. James Lankford (R-OK)
- Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND)
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