Lankford, Britt, Colleagues Introduce Laken Riley Act in 119th Congress

WASHINGTON, DC – Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Katie Britt (R-AL) today announced the introduction of the Laken Riley Act, along with the entire Senate Republican Conference. This legislation was introduced in the House ofRepresentatives by Congressman Mike Collins (R-GA).

“It’s impossible to fully describe what was taken from Laken and from our family on February 22, 2024. Laken’s life was abundantly and exceptionally full of promise. She was a beautiful, shining beacon in the life of everyone who knew her. Not only did the people who knew and loved Laken lose a beautiful soul, but so did our world. Laken shared her love for Jesus with everyone she encountered. Laken’s passion for sharing her faith through acts of kindness were felt by everyone she met. Laken was selfless, hardworking and made those around her feel special. Laken did not just talk about her faith, she led by example,” said Allyson and John Phillips, Laken Riley’s mother and stepfather. “The Laken Riley Act has our full support because it would help save innocent lives and prevent more families from going through the kind of heartbreak we’ve experienced. Laken would have been 23 on January 10th.  There is no greater gift that could be given to her and our country than to continue her legacy by saving lives through this bill. Every single member of Congress should be able to get behind this purely commonsense bill that will make our country and communities safer. We thank Congressman Mike Collins, Senator Katie Britt, and Senator Ted Budd for continuing to work to honor Laken’s legacy and get this legislation enacted into law.”

 “Laken Riley’s painful story is an example of what could happen in any neighborhood across Oklahoma, because of an open border. Open border policies welcome criminals to roam our streets which must not happen under any administration,” said Lankford.

“Last year, Laken Riley was stolen from this earth—from her family and friends and from achieving her dreams—by a brutal, heartless killer. Make no mistake—he never should have been in the United States, much less allowed to freely roam American streets after being charged with multiple crimes. Laken’s murder was the direct consequence of willful open border policies,” said Senator Britt. “The American people did not just deliver a mandate on November 5^th, they delivered a verdict. They made it clear they want to remove criminal illegal aliens and protect American families. We will soon know whether Democrats hear, respect, and obey that verdict. Congress has an obligation to Laken, her family, and to families in every corner of our country to do everything in our power to help prevent this type of tragedy from occurring again. That’s why it’s imperative we pass the commonsense Laken Riley Act with all due haste. No other American family needs to feel the pain Laken’s family still feels 320 days after losing her.”

The Laken Riley Act would require US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal aliens who commit theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting offenses and would mandate that these aliens are detained until they are removed from the United States so they cannot reoffend and commit further crimes. This legislation would also ensure states have standing to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration law or who violate the law.

In the 118^th Congress, the legislation passed the House in an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 251-170. Senate Democrats, however, refused to give the bill a committee hearing or floor consideration. On multiple occasions, Senate Democrats blocked the measure from passing by unanimous consent.

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