OKC Standard

The House of Representatives has passed the Laken Riley Act, known as H.R. 29, which aims to enhance community safety by mandating Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal immigrants involved in specific criminal activities such as theft, burglary, larceny, and shoplifting. The act is named after Laken Riley, a young woman who was tragically killed by an illegal immigrant while jogging.

The suspect involved in Riley's case had previously entered the United States illegally in August 2022 and was subsequently paroled. Despite multiple arrests for offenses including acting harmfully towards a minor and shoplifting, he was released each time.

Congresswoman Bice has been a proponent of this legislation since its initial passage in the House on March 7th of last year. However, it did not advance to a Senate vote at that time.

In her statement following the vote, Congresswoman Bice expressed her support: “I was proud to vote in favor of this crucial legislation. Over the last four years, illegal migrants have poured across our open borders without consequence. No family should ever have to go through what Laken Riley's family has endured. This is a critical first step in restoring the safety of Americans from migrants who have committed criminal acts.”