Washington, D.C. – Today, House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) issued the following statement after House passage of H.R.29. the Laken Riley Act:
“For four years, the Biden administration’s complete and total surrender of our southern border has decimated communities and families across the country, resulting in the deaths of countless Americans like Laken Riley,”said Chairman Arrington. “In this new era of Republican leadership, we are delivering for the American people – and that starts with securing the border and protecting our communities. The Laken Riley Act will give law enforcement the tools they need to keep dangerous illegals off the streets and empower state governments to protect their people.”
Background:
The legislation is named for Laken Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an illegal alien on the University of Georgia’s campus on February 22, 2024.
The Laken Riley Act does two things:
It would amend federal law to require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers and take custody of illegal aliens who commit theft-related crimes, such as shoplifting, as defined by state and local law.
It allows state attorneys general to sue the Secretary of Homeland Security for injunctive relief if immigration actions such as parole, violation of detention requirements, or other policy failures harm that state or its citizens.
The bill directly addresses one of the federal policy failures related to Laken Riley’s murder. Her murderer, Jose Ibarra, is an illegal alien who had been previously cited for shoplifting by the Athens Police Department. If local law enforcement had called ICE, and ICE issued a detainer and picked him up, Laken would be alive. Ibarra was found guilty in November 2024 and has been sentenced to life without parole.
In March of 2024, the House passed this legislation with every Republican and 37 Democrats voting in favor.
It was not brought to a vote in the Democrat-majority Senate.
