(NewsNation) — Attorneys general from 26 states are urging Congress to swiftly pass the “Laken Riley Act,” which requires the arrest of anyone in the country illegally for any larceny, burglary or shoplifting offense.
After 22-year-old Riley, an Augusta University nursing student, was killed late last month while on a morning run, Republicans rushed the “Laken Riley Act” to the House floor to coincide with President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address. It passed in the U.S. House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 251-170 on Thursday.
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the attorneys general argue, “President Biden’s repeated actions of ignoring the rule of law and abandoning successful policies have created a border crisis of historic proportions.”
They added, “As attorneys general, we are fighting to preserve the rule of law and keep our states safe when the federal government fails to act, or in the case of illegal immigration, actively makes it worse. To that end, we applaud the bill’s enforcement provision for State Attorneys General.”
Authorities arrested Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan man who entered the U.S. illegally, on murder and assault charges in connection with Riley’s death.
Riley’s death has become a rallying point for Republicans, as Ibarra was allowed to stay in the U.S. to pursue his immigration case despite being previously arrested by New York police in August.
“We believe the Laken Riley Act is a strong bill that can act as another arrow in the quiver when it comes to combatting illegal immigration and protecting Americans. Please advance this bill to a vote as soon as possible. Laken Riley should still be alive. Let her memory be used to protect others before it’s too late,” the attorneys general wrote in the letter.
U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement said Ibarra was arrested by New York police in August and charged with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation. Ibarra was released before ICE could ask New York officials to hold him until immigration authorities could take him into custody, ICE said. New York officials have said they have no record of the arrest.
The legislation would also allow states to sue the federal government for crimes committed by immigrants who enter the country illegally. It was part of a broader push by Republicans to deride immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally and tie them to violent crimes.