Hoosier State Today

U.S. Senator Todd Young from Indiana has collaborated with Senator Katie Britt of Alabama and the entire Senate Republican Conference to reintroduce the Laken Riley Act. The bill, which successfully passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday, is anticipated to be reviewed by the Senate later this week.

The proposed legislation mandates that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest illegal aliens involved in theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting offenses. It further requires these individuals to be detained until they are deported from the United States to prevent further offenses. Additionally, it grants states the authority to initiate civil actions against federal officials who fail to enforce immigration laws or violate them.

Senator Young stated, "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 emphasized that securing borders is a national security priority and described this bill as a step towards reversing what he termed as "the Biden Administration’s open border policies."

The Laken Riley Act has garnered support from all members of the Senate Republican Conference for the 119th Congress. Notable cosponsors 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 among others. Additionally supporting the legislation is Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania.

Senator Young had previously backed this act during the 118th Congress and had spoken about Laken Riley's life on the Senate floor.