What is Laken Riley Act? New legislation seeks to combat ‘illegal crime wave’

Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., is reportedly introducing legislation that would demand that ICE detain illegal immigrants who are charged with local theft or burglary. This comes after the brutal murder of Laken Riley. The Georgia nursing student was killed by Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant.
The act is being named after the 22-year-old student – the Laken Riley Act. She was found dead on the campus of University of Georgia after being attacked and killed by Ibarra while she was out running in the morning.
It has been revealed that Ibarra was once arrested in New York for endangering a child. He was also cited in Georgia for misdemeanour shoplifting in October 2023, and so was his brother, Diego Ibarra.
Collins represents Georgia’s 10th Congressional District of Athens, which is where Riley was attacked. He said the killing is a “wakeup call” for America. The bill is meant to combat the “illegal crime wave” that he says is taking place because of the ongoing border crisis.
“The senseless murder of Laken Riley by Jose Ibarra, who had no business being in this country, was another wakeup call as Americans experience an illegal alien crime wave because of Joe Biden’s open border and local sanctuary city policies,” Collins told Fox News Digital.
He added that the legislation aims to prevent such horrifying incidents from taking place because of the open southern border. “I wish we could bring Laken back, but we must now turn our focus to ensuring this doesn’t happen to another American,” the Republican congressman said. “That’s why I introduced the Laken Riley Act.”
The act would “require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue a detainer for illegal aliens who are charged or cited with local theft or burglary. More serious crimes already require ICE to issue detainers but had Athens, GA Police reached out to ICE about Jose Ibarra when he was cited for shoplifting, and ICE issued a detainer and picked him up, Laken Riley would be alive.”
Individual states will also be allowed to take action against the federal government “if an immigration related action harms the state or its citizens.” “Allow states to sue the federal government for injunctive relief if an immigration related action (parole, violation of detention requirements, etc.), harms the state or its citizens. This gives states legal resource to force the federal government to address certain failures related to border security,” a press release announcing the legislation read.