SW Georgia News

Representative Mike Collins of Georgia's 10th district has reintroduced the Laken Riley Act in the 119th Congress. The bill, which passed the House previously with bipartisan support but did not advance in the Senate, aims to provide Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and state governments with additional resources to combat illegal alien criminals.

"The Laken Riley Act gives our law enforcement the tools they need to protect their communities and ensure that no more innocent lives are lost to a broken immigration and criminal justice system," said Collins. "I am proud that the House was able to come together and pass this bill. If the Senate will do its job, President Trump will make it law."

The act is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was killed by an illegal alien on February 22, 2024, at the University of Georgia campus. The proposed legislation seeks to amend federal law by requiring ICE to issue detainers for illegal aliens committing theft-related crimes such as shoplifting. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the Secretary of Homeland Security for injunctive relief if immigration actions harm their state or citizens.

The bill addresses policy failures linked to Riley's murder. Her murderer, Jose Ibarra, an illegal alien previously cited for shoplifting by Athens Police Department, could have been detained by ICE if local authorities had contacted them. Ibarra was found guilty in November 2024 and sentenced to life without parole.