U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and all Senate Republicans in reintroducing the Laken Riley Act. The bill, which passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday, is expected to be considered later this week in the Senate.
The legislation 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 so they cannot reoffend or commit further crimes. The bill would ensure states have standing to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration law or who violate the law.
“Laken Riley should still be with us today. The man who killed Laken entered the United States illegally and was arrested and released multiple times before killing Laken,” said Senator Young. “Securing our border is a national security priority, and this bill is one of many steps we should take to reverse the Biden Administration’s open border policies.”
The entire Senate Republican Conference cosponsored the Laken Riley Act for the 119th Congress, including Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.Dak.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), John Hoeven (R-N.Dak.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Boozman (R-Mont.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Curtis (R-Utah), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Rounds (R-N.D.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) also cosponsored the legislation.