Congressman Nick Begich III voted on Tuesday in favor of the Laken Riley Act.
The bill gives Immigration and Customs Enforcement and state governments resources to fight against illegal aliens criminals. An identical bill overwhelmingly passed the House last year with bipartisan support, but stalled in the Senate. It was introduced last week on the first day of the congressional session by Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia.
The legislation is named for Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student murdered by an illegal immigrant on the University of Georgia’s campus one year ago on Feb. 22, 2024.
The Laken Riley Act does two things:
- It would amend federal law to require Immigration and Customs Enforcement 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 would allow 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. Killer Jose Ibarra, is an illegal alien who had been previously cited for shoplifting by the Athens, Ga. 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.
“Today, I proudly voted in favor of the Laken Riley Act, legislation that unwinds years of failed immigration policies,” Begich said. “Laken and many others have paid the ultimate price for these failures. Our vote today gives law enforcement the tools needed to apprehend and detain illegal immigrants who have proven to be a danger to our communities. Further, the bill provides the states with standing, allowing them to sue the federal government for failing to enforce our nation’s immigration laws. This is the beginning of a Congress committed to putting the people of America first.”
