Laken Riley Act
Download PDFSponsored by
Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]
ID: B001319
Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Became Public Law No: 119-1.
January 29, 2025
Introduced
Committee Review
Floor Action
Passed Senate
House Review
Passed Congress
Presidential Action
Became Law
📍 Current Status
This bill has become law!
📚 How does a bill become a law?
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Bill Summary
Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. The Laken Riley Act, a bill so cleverly crafted that it's almost as if its authors wanted to create a Rube Goldberg machine of bureaucratic inefficiencies and redundant provisions.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The ostensible purpose of this bill is to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody aliens who have been charged with theft in the United States. Because, you know, that's not already happening. The real objective, however, is to create a new layer of bureaucratic red tape and provide a Trojan horse for states' attorneys general to sue the federal government over immigration policies.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends various sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act to:
1. Expand the definition of "detainable" aliens to include those charged with theft, burglary, larceny, shoplifting, or assault on a law enforcement officer. 2. Allow states' attorneys general to sue the Secretary of Homeland Security over alleged violations of detention and removal requirements. 3. Grant states' attorneys general standing to bring actions against the Attorney General or Secretary of Homeland Security for allegedly harming their state or residents.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects:
1. Aliens who have been charged with theft (because, clearly, they're the real problem here). 2. States' attorneys general, who will now have a new toy to play with in their quest for power and relevance. 3. The Secretary of Homeland Security, who will be forced to deal with an influx of frivolous lawsuits from states' attorneys general. 4. Taxpayers, who will foot the bill for this bureaucratic boondoggle.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a perfect example of legislative malpractice. It:
1. Creates unnecessary complexity and redundancy in existing law. 2. Empowers states' attorneys general to engage in frivolous lawsuits, wasting taxpayer dollars and clogging up the courts. 3. Fails to address the underlying issues driving immigration policy debates (e.g., lack of border security, inadequate visa programs). 4. Provides a convenient distraction from more pressing national issues.
In short, this bill is a masterclass in legislative obfuscation, designed to confuse, mislead, and waste resources. Bravo, 119th Congress! You've outdone yourselves.
Related Topics
đź’° Campaign Finance Network
Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance
This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID]
ID: R000584
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Schmitt, Eric [R-MO]
ID: S001227
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]
ID: L000575
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND]
ID: C001096
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Tuberville, Tommy [R-AL]
ID: T000278
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND]
ID: H001061
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]
ID: L000577
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI]
ID: J000293
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY]
ID: B001261
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]
ID: W000437
Top Contributors
10
Donor Network - Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 35 nodes and 45 connections
Total contributions: $123,000
Top Donors - Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]
Showing top 19 donors by contribution amount
Project 2025 Policy Matches
This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document. Higher similarity scores indicate stronger thematic connections.
Introduction
— 141 — Department of Homeland Security enforcement. To return ICE to its primary mission, any new Administration that wishes to restore the rule of law to our immigration enforcement efforts should: l Order ICE to stop closing out pending immigration cases and apply the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) as written by Congress.3 The Biden Administration closed out tens of thousands of immigration cases that had already been prepared and were slated for expedited removal processing or hearings before the U.S. Immigration Court. This misguided action constituted an egregious example of lawlessness that allowed thousands of illegal aliens and other immigration violators to go free in the United States. l Direct ICE to stop ignoring criminal aliens identified through the 287(g) program.4 Ultimately, Congress should prevent ICE from ignoring criminal aliens identified by local law enforcement agencies that are partners in the 287(g) program. However, before congressional action, ICE should be directed to take custody of all aliens with records for felonies, crimes of violence, DUIs, previous removals, and any other crime that is considered a national security or public safety threat as defined under current laws. l Eliminate T and U visas. Victimization should not be a basis for an immigration benefit. If an alien who was a trafficking or crime victim is actively and significantly cooperating with law enforcement as a witness, the S visa is already available and should be used. Pending elimination of the T and U visas, the Secretary should significantly restrict eligibility for each visa to prevent fraud. l Issue clear guidance regarding detention and bond for aliens. Thousands of illegal aliens are allowed to bond out of immigration detention only to disappear into the interior of the United States where many commit crimes and many others disappear, never to be heard from again. This occurs primarily because of poorly worded bond regulations, contradictory bond policy memoranda, and poor practices for managing released aliens and the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) Program, which requires significant reform. l Prioritize national security in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). ICE should end its current cozy deference to educational institutions and remove security risks from the program. This requires working with the Department of State to eliminate or significantly reduce the number of visas issued to foreign students from enemy nations.
Introduction
— 141 — Department of Homeland Security enforcement. To return ICE to its primary mission, any new Administration that wishes to restore the rule of law to our immigration enforcement efforts should: l Order ICE to stop closing out pending immigration cases and apply the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) as written by Congress.3 The Biden Administration closed out tens of thousands of immigration cases that had already been prepared and were slated for expedited removal processing or hearings before the U.S. Immigration Court. This misguided action constituted an egregious example of lawlessness that allowed thousands of illegal aliens and other immigration violators to go free in the United States. l Direct ICE to stop ignoring criminal aliens identified through the 287(g) program.4 Ultimately, Congress should prevent ICE from ignoring criminal aliens identified by local law enforcement agencies that are partners in the 287(g) program. However, before congressional action, ICE should be directed to take custody of all aliens with records for felonies, crimes of violence, DUIs, previous removals, and any other crime that is considered a national security or public safety threat as defined under current laws. l Eliminate T and U visas. Victimization should not be a basis for an immigration benefit. If an alien who was a trafficking or crime victim is actively and significantly cooperating with law enforcement as a witness, the S visa is already available and should be used. Pending elimination of the T and U visas, the Secretary should significantly restrict eligibility for each visa to prevent fraud. l Issue clear guidance regarding detention and bond for aliens. Thousands of illegal aliens are allowed to bond out of immigration detention only to disappear into the interior of the United States where many commit crimes and many others disappear, never to be heard from again. This occurs primarily because of poorly worded bond regulations, contradictory bond policy memoranda, and poor practices for managing released aliens and the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) Program, which requires significant reform. l Prioritize national security in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). ICE should end its current cozy deference to educational institutions and remove security risks from the program. This requires working with the Department of State to eliminate or significantly reduce the number of visas issued to foreign students from enemy nations. — 142 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise Most of the foregoing can be accomplished rapidly and effectively through exec- utive action that is both lawful and appropriate. Additionally, ICE should clarify who is responsible for enforcing its criminal and civil authorities. It should also remove self-imposed limitations on its nationwide jurisdiction. l Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents in the 1811 series should enforce Title 8 and 18 crimes as the biggest part of their portfolio. Alien smuggling, trafficking, and cross-border crime as defined under Title 85 and Title 186 should be the focus of ICE operations. l The role of ICE Deportation Officers should be clarified. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) should be identified as being primarily responsible for enforcing civil immigration regulations, including the civil arrest, detention, and removal of immigration violators anywhere in the United States, without warrant where appropriate, subject only to the civil warrant requirements of the INA where appropriate. l All ICE memoranda identifying “sensitive zones” where ICE personnel are prohibited from operating should be rescinded. Rely on the good judgment of officers in the field to avoid inappropriate situations. l To maximize the efficient use of its resources, ICE should make full use of existing Expedited Removal (ER) authorities. The agency has limited the use of ER to eligible aliens apprehended within 100 miles of the border. This is not a statutory requirement. New Policies U.S. national security and public safety interests would be well-served if ICE were to be combined with CBP and USCIS, as mentioned above. Additionally, ICE/ HSI, along with CBP, should be full participants in the Intelligence Community. The use of Blackies Warrants should be operationalized within ICE. These civil search warrants are commonly used for worksite enforcement when agents have probable cause that illegal aliens are employed at a business. This would stream- line investigations. Safeguarding Americans will require not just securing the border, but con- tinuous vetting and investigations of many aliens who exploited President Biden’s open border for potentially nefarious purposes, including some Afghan evacuees sent directly to the U.S. during America’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.
About These Correlations
Policy matches are calculated using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text. A score of 60% or higher indicates meaningful thematic overlap. This does not imply direct causation or intent, but highlights areas where legislation aligns with Project 2025 policy objectives.