WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, a member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, joined a group of 31 of her Senate Republican colleagues, led by U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.), to introduce the Laken Riley Act. The Laken Riley Act would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal aliens who commit theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting offenses.
“Americans deserve to feel safe in their communities, but President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas’ refusal to address the crisis at the southern border has repeatedly caused devastating acts of violence to occur across the country,” Senator Capito said. “I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Laken Riley Act, and I encourage Leader Schumer to bring this bill to the floor immediately so we can help prevent further tragedies such as this one.”
BACKGROUND:
In addition to the new ICE arrest requirements, the Laken Riley Act also mandates that illegal aliens are detained until they are removed from the United States so they cannot reoffend and commit further crimes. Additionally, this legislation would ensure that states have standing to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration law or who violate the law.
The Laken Riley Act was named for a nursing student in Georgia who was brutally murdered in February 2024 on the campus of the University of Georgia. Laken Riley’s accused killer was identified as an illegal immigrant who entered the country through the southern border, and was not detained or deported despite a previous arrest.
During a Senate floor speech in February, Senator Capito spoke about Laken Riley’s murder and called for action by the administration. You can watch the speech here.
The legislation was originally introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.-10), where it passed last week in a bipartisan, 251-170 vote.
Full text of the bill can be found here.
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