Lafayette Reporter

Senator John Kennedy, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has joined forces with Senator Katie Britt and other colleagues to reintroduce the Laken Riley Act. This legislation aims to mandate U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal immigrants who are involved in theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting.

"Laken Riley’s murderer shouldn’t have been in our country committing crimes in the first place. The Laken Riley Act would give ICE the authority it needs to remove illegal criminals and protect Americans. The Senate ought to pass this common-sense bill immediately," stated Kennedy.

The act is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant previously arrested for shoplifting but not detained by ICE. In November 2024, her murderer was convicted on all charges and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

The proposed legislation requires ICE to detain illegal immigrants involved in theft-related offenses until their removal from the country. It also provides states with standing to pursue civil actions against federal officials failing to enforce immigration laws or violating them.

"Last year, Laken Riley was stolen from this earth—from her family and friends and from achieving her dreams—by a brutal, heartless killer. Make no mistake—he never should have been in the United States, much less allowed to freely roam American streets after being charged with multiple crimes. Laken’s murder was the direct consequence of willful open border policies," said Britt.

In March 2024, Kennedy initially introduced the act but faced opposition from Senate Democrats who did not allow a vote on it as a stand-alone bill. Earlier that year, he questioned Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about why Riley's suspected murderer had been paroled into the U.S.

The entire Senate Republican Conference has cosponsored the act for the 119th Congress alongside Senators J.D. Vance, Jim Risch, Eric Schmitt, James Lankford among others.

Senator John Fetterman has also sponsored this bill.