House Passes Laken Riley Bill: Immigrants Charged with Theft Now Eligible for Detention, States Can Sue Feds
In a significant move, the House of Representatives has approved its first major piece of legislation in the new Congress. Known as the Laken Riley Act, this bill mandates that law enforcement officials detain illegal immigrants charged with or convicted of theft. Additionally, it empowers states to sue the federal government for the negative impacts of mass migration.
The House voted 264-159, with 216 Republicans and 48 Democrats approving the legislation named after Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student who was tragically killed last year by a Venezuelan immigrant. The Senate, now controlled by Republicans, is expected to take up the bill later this week.
Among the 48 Democrats supporting the bill were Representatives Laura Gillen, Joe Morelle, Ritchie Torres, John Mannion, Tom Suozzi, and Josh Riley, all hailing from New York.
According to the Laken Riley Act, illegal immigrants arrested, accused, or convicted of "robbery or shoplifting" must be held by immigration authorities. The bill also allows state attorneys general to sue federal authorities for failure to enforce immigration laws.
If state or local officials do not intervene, the Secretary of Homeland Security is directed to "promptly take custody of the alien," essentially nullifying so-called ‘sanctuary policies’ in jurisdictions that discourage cooperation with federal authorities on immigration matters.
Read more about this development here.
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