Last month, the country learned the tragic news that 22-year-old Laken Riley – a nursing student from Georgia – was murdered by an illegal immigrant while out on a jog in broad daylight. As a father of four, my heart breaks for the friends and family of Laken who are enduring unimaginable pain right now. As an American, I am outraged that President Biden refuses to secure our border and keep our communities safe. We must enforce our nation’s laws and work overtime to protect our children and our neighbors because Laken Riley did not deserve to die.
In 2022, the illegal immigrant in question – whose name I will not mention nor dignify because he doesn’t deserve the notoriety – was apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection but was later released because of the severity of the border crisis caused by President Biden’s radical policies and ridiculous executive orders. A year later, he was arrested in New York for endangering the life of a child and violating laws pertaining to the operation of a motor vehicle. Of course, thanks to New York’s soft-on-crime policies, he was released from custody and just a month later, he was detained again by law enforcement in Georgia for his involvement in a shoplifting incident with his brother. These “catch-and-release” policies at our border must end, and we must abolish sanctuary cities that prioritize illegal immigrants over the American people.
That’s why I voted for the Laken Riley Act, which would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take custody of illegal immigrants who commit theft, burglary, larceny, shoplifting, or other similar crimes. While this should have been a unanimous vote, I regret that 170 of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle voted against this commonsense bill. It’s absurd. We cannot allow these criminals to freely roam our streets, terrorize our families, and threaten public safety. This straightforward legislation will hold illegal immigrants who steal, burglarize, and harass American citizens accountable for their actions.
Sadly, Laken’s story is not unique. On January 31, 2016, the night of her graduation from college, Sarah Root – a 21-year-old from Council Bluffs – was struck and killed by an illegal immigrant who was driving while drunk – three times over the legal limit. However, due to a loophole in federal law, the illegal immigrant posted bail, was released from jail, and never seen again.
In memory of Sarah, I’m working with Senator Ernst to pass Sarah’s Law so that illegal immigrants who seriously injure or kill American citizens are detained and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law – not released from jail without facing a jury. Sarah’s Law specifically amends the mandatory detention provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act to require ICE to detain illegal immigrants criminally charged with killing or seriously injuring an American. It also requires that ICE make reasonable efforts to identify victims and inform their families of the heartbreaking news and keep them updated on developments related to the crime and the case.
Sarah’s Law will make illegal immigrants answer for their crimes and deliver some semblance of justice for families like the Root family and the Riley family. We can no longer accept these tragedies as the norm. I promise that I will continue to work with my colleagues to secure our border, finish the wall, and protect our families and our children from violent illegal immigrants.
