The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
U.S. Senate should pass the Laken Riley Act
Bipartisan support is needed to resolve our immigration issues.
The aftermath of the death of Laken Riley on the campus of the University of Georgia in February reminds us — again — that the policies on our southern border are hurting our country and putting the safety and security of American citizens at risk. Congress must address the policy failures that leave our border open.
That is a challenge in this era of peak partisanship during one of the least productive Congresses in decades, but the strong bipartisan support for the Laken Riley Act in the House of Representatives should serve as a glimmer of hope that good governance legislation is where we can start to restore Americans’ faith in government.
Laken was a 22-year-old nursing student with her whole life ahead of her. She was cherished by her loved ones and remembered as an exemplary daughter, sister and friend. A selfless woman with a servant’s heart, she knew from an early age that her life’s mission was to make her community a better place.
The joy she brought to others and the promise of the good she would do were stolen when she was killed. In February, José Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan, was charged in multiple counts related to her death.
This is not Ibarra’s first interaction with law enforcement. Ibarra is believed to have illegally crossed the southern border in 2022 and was released pending asylum hearings. He was charged with child endangerment in New York and shoplifting in Athens.
If Ibarra is indeed guilty of this slaying, then numerous policy failures led to this tragedy. That’s why I introduced the Laken Riley Act, which passed the House overwhelmingly on a bipartisan basis. Thirty-seven Democrats joined Republicans in support of the bill, which would amend federal law to add burglary and theft to the list of crimes for which Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) must issue a detainer and deport an illegal immigrant.
There is a tremendous amount of strain on states to handle the fallout from the federal government’s inability or refusal to secure our border and faithfully execute our laws. That’s why the bill would grant standing to state attorneys general to sue for injunctive relief when the federal government won’t do its job.
These are narrowly focused and commonsense policy improvements. Are they everything we need to do? No, but change in Washington requires consensus, and effective policymakers look for ways to move the ball down the field instead of taking a knee when a touchdown isn’t possible. The Laken Riley Act moves the ball forward.
The bill is now in the Senate. It is my hope and prayer that our Georgia senators will unite behind this effective legislation and also help shepherd its Senate passage in the same bipartisan manner as the Georgia delegation did in the House. Though this bill cannot bring back a daughter to her grieving Georgia family, it could prevent future tragedy and save lives.
Republicans and Democrats have plenty to debate on immigration policy, but securing the safety and well-being of our constituents is a key tenet of our obligation to those we serve.
By enacting the Laken Riley Act, we have a unique opportunity to make a difference and honor a young person taken from us too soon — and to show that bipartisanship doesn’t have to be a dirty word.