WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today joined Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC), and his Republican Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Laken Riley Act, which would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest and detain migrants who enter the country illegally and commit theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting offenses until they are removed from the U.S. to ensure they cannot commit further crimes:

“The death of Laken Riley was a senseless and preventable tragedy, and now that her murderer is behind bars, we owe it to Laken to do everything we can to ensure any migrant who enters the country illegally and commits a crime is never given the opportunity to harm innocent Americans,” said Sen. Cornyn. “The loss of Laken and others is a painful reminder that President Biden’s catch-and-release policies have devastating consequences, and this legislation is an important step forward.”

Additional Senate cosponsors include Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), and the entire Senate Republican Conference, including Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Curtis (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jim Justice (R-WV), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Rand Paul (R-KY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), J.D. Vance (R-OH), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Todd Young (R-IN). This legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Mike Collins (GA-10).

Background:

On February 22, 2024, 22-year-old Laken Riley was killed in broad daylight while jogging on campus at the University of Georgia. Venezuelan national and Tren de Aragua gang member, Jose Antonio Ibarra, who was released into the interior by the Biden administration after he illegally entered the country, was found guilty of ten criminal charges, including felony murder, in November 2024.

Last year, Sen. Cornyn wrote a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas demanding DHS explain why Ibarra was granted parole into the U.S.

In addition to requiring ICE to arrest and detain migrants who enter the country illegally and commit theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting offenses, the Laken Riley Act would ensure states can bring civil actions against federal agencies who violate the law or refuse to enforce immigration law.