Indy Standard

U.S. Senator Todd Young from Indiana has joined forces with Senator Katie Britt of Alabama and the entire Senate Republican Conference to reintroduce the Laken Riley Act. This bill, which recently passed the House of Representatives, is slated for consideration in the Senate this week.

The proposed legislation mandates that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest illegal aliens who commit crimes such as theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting. It also requires these individuals to be detained until they are deported from the United States to prevent further offenses. The bill provides states with standing to initiate civil actions against federal officials who fail to enforce immigration laws or violate them.

Senator Young commented on the motivation behind the bill: “Laken Riley should still be with us today. The man who killed Laken entered the United States illegally and was arrested and released multiple times before killing Laken,” he said. “Securing our border is a national security priority, and this bill is one of many steps we should take to reverse the Biden Administration’s open border policies.”

All members of the Senate Republican Conference have cosponsored the Laken Riley Act for its introduction in the 119th Congress. Notable supporters include Senators Ted Budd, John Thune, Jim Banks, J.D. Vance, Jim Risch, Eric Schmitt, James Lankford, Kevin Cramer, Tommy Tuberville, John Hoeven, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson, John Barrasso, Roger Wicker, Cynthia Lummis, Thom Tillis, Tom Cotton, Mike Crapo, Chuck Grassley, Mitch McConnell among others. Additionally joining as a cosponsor is Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania.

Senator Young had previously supported this act during its introduction in the 118th Congress and spoke about Laken Riley's life on the Senate floor.