Young On Laken Riley Act: “The Senate Should Pass It Now!”
Source: (Photo by Marek Slusarczyk/Thinkstock.)
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate is now considering the Laken Riley Act.
It was debated for the first time on the Senate floor on Wednesday. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) was among the most vocal in supporting its passage by the upper chamber. He spoke at length during the debate.
“This self-inflicted disaster will be a major part of President Biden’s ignominious legacy,” Young said. “The open border policies must end and criminal migrants must go!”
The Laken Riley Act is a bill that would require federal authorities to detain illegal immigrants arrested, charged, or convicted of theft-related crimes until deportation. the bill would also empower states to more easily sue the federal government over its handling of illegal immigration.
It all stems from when Georgia nursing student Laken Riley was murdered at the hands of a man who was in the country illegally. Jose Antonia Iberra, 26, was in the U.S. having cross the border having come from Venezuela. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
“It will be too little, too late for the family of Laken Riley, who should still be with us today,” said Young of the bill if it becomes law. “The man who murdered her should never have been able to set foot in America.”
Opponents like the ACLU say the bill would infringe on civil liberties.
“If passed this bill will strengthen President-elect Trump’s hand in unleashing mass deportations on our communities,” the ACLU said in an emailed statement. “It will force immigration authorities to detain individuals accused of nonviolent theft offenses like shoplifting regardless of whether or not law enforcement even deems them as a threat.”
Iberra had been in the country illegally since 2022 and had been arrested and released from custody after committing a handful of crimes in his time leading up to the killing of Laken Riley.
The bill passed the House with 48 Democrats joining every Republican in supporting it. It’s expected to garner some Democratic support in the Senate, but that still remains to be seen.
“This bill is one of many steps that we should take to reverse the Biden administration’s open border policies,” Young said. “Stop the madness! I plead with my colleagues to pass the Laken Riley Act. We should pass it now.”
