BISMARCK – As a result of soft-on-crime policies and the pro-crime agendas of progressive prosecutors, major cities across the United States have seen a historic rate in violent crime over the last couple of years. The violent crime rate has also been escalated by failures in the current immigration enforcement policies, which incentivize and reward criminal acts in some of the nation’s largest cities.
U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined U.S. Senators Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL) and Ted Budd (R-NC) in introducing the Laken Riley Act, which mandates U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal aliens who commit theft offenses and requires their detainment until they are deported from the country. The legislation also empowers states to take legal action against federal officials who fail to abide by immigration laws.
The legislation was named after 22-year-old University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley who was murdered by an illegal immigrant. Her killer had previously been cited for theft and shop lifting but was later released.
“The Biden administration needs to wake up to the harsh realities their policies have created. Illegal aliens are already criminals when they break our immigration laws. When they add to their rap sheet, they should be punished accordingly. Detaining and deporting illegals who commit so-called minor offenses is an obvious step toward preventing reoffending,” said Cramer. “Laken Riley’s murder was a senseless tragedy, and we owe it to Laken and everyone affected by these crimes to prevent another tragedy like this one.”
After the Laken Riley Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week with bipartisan support, Senate cosponsors are pressing leadership to bring the legislation to the floor for a vote immediately.
Click here for bill text.