The Laken Riley Act is intended to curb the “illegal crime wave” resulting from the continuing border issue. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., is allegedly proposing legislation that would require ICE to jail illegal immigrants accused of local larceny or burglary. This follows the horrible murder of Laken Riley. Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant, killed a Georgia nursing student. The Laken Riley Act honours the 22-year-old student. She was found dead on the University of Georgia campus after being ambushed and killed by Ibarra while out for a morning run.
What is the Laken Riley Act?
It has been found that Ibarra was previously arrested in New York for endangering a child. In October 2023, he and his brother, Diego Ibarra, were both cited in Georgia for misdemeanor theft. Collins represents Georgia’s 10th Congressional District near Athens, where Riley was attacked. He described the killing as a “wakeup call” for America. The bill is intended to tackle the “crime wave” that he claims is resulting from the current border issue. “The senseless murder of Laken Riley by Jose Ibarra, who had no business being in this country, was another wakeup call as Americans experience an illegal alien crime wave because of Joe Biden’s open border and local sanctuary city policies,” Collins said in an interview with Fox News.
“I wish we could bring Laken back, but we must now turn our focus to ensuring this doesn’t happen to another American”
He added that the legislation aims to prevent such horrifying incidents from taking place because of the open southern border. “I wish we could bring Laken back, but we must now turn our focus to ensuring this doesn’t happen to another American,” the Republican congressman said. “That’s why I introduced the Laken Riley Act.” The act would “require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue a detainer for illegal aliens who are charged or cited with local theft or burglary. More serious crimes already require ICE to issue detainers but had Athens, GA Police reached out to ICE about Jose Ibarra when he was cited for shoplifting, and ICE issued a detainer and picked him up, Laken Riley would be alive.”
Individual states will also be allowed to take action against the federal government “if an immigration-related action harms the state or its citizens.” “Allow states to sue the federal government for injunctive relief if an immigration-related action (parole, violation of detention requirements, etc.), harms the state or its citizens. This gives states legal resources to force the federal government to address certain failures related to border security,” a press release announcing the legislation read.