Statement of Administration Policy: S. 5 - Laken Riley Act

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

(House)

The Administration strongly supports enactment of the Laken Riley Act. This bipartisan, bicameral bill honors the memory of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was murdered on February 22, 2024, by a 26-year-old Venezuelan man who had entered the United States illegally and had been previously arrested by local police on theft charges.

The Laken Riley Act would require the Department of Homeland Security to detain non-U.S. nationals unlawfully present in the United States who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. It would also empower state attorneys general to sue future administrations for violations of federal immigration law that endanger Americans. This commonsense legislation would provide law enforcement with the tools they need to protect our communities and prevent future senseless tragedies, and is consistent with the Administration's broader efforts to strengthen enforcement of our immigration laws and improve the security of the Nation's borders.

If the Laken Riley Act were presented to the President in its current form, his advisors would recommend that he sign the bill into law.