Calling it an “incredible first step,” U.S. Senator Katie Britt and colleagues watched on Wednesday afternoon as President Donald Trump signed into law the Laken Riley Act.
The legislation, introduced and sponsored in the Senate by Britt (R-Montgomery), mandates that any illegal immigrants guilty of theft, burglary, larceny, and/or shoplifting must be detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
It also ensures that states have standing to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration law or who violate the law. Amendments to the bill later added the assault of a law enforcement officer or any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury to the list of offenses that will result in being arrested by ICE.
The goal of the detainers is to ensure that offenders don’t have the opportunity to continue committing crimes.
“Today, I was honored to join President Trump as he signed the Laken Riley Act into law,” Sen. Britt said after the ceremony at the White House.
“This landmark bill is historic for many reasons, including the fact this was the first bill he signed into law as the 47th President. Alongside President Trump, Republican majorities in Congress are turning promises made into promises kept. I’m incredibly proud of the bipartisan, lifesaving legislation we were able to achieve to protect American families and honor the life and legacy of Laken Riley.”
RELATED: Laken Riley Act advances in U.S. Senate thanks to continued months-long effort from Britt
Britt, who worked tirelessly for months to get the legislation passed, expressed her gratitude towards her Senate colleagues for their bipartisan support of it.
“This is an incredible first step toward making America safe again, and I will continue fighting to strengthen border security and interior immigration enforcement. I’d like to thank Congressman Mike Collins for his steadfast leadership to get this bill across the finish line, as well as Senator Ted Budd, Majority Leader John Thune, and Senators John Fetterman, Ruben Gallego, Joni Ernst, and John Cornyn for their partnership in making today a reality.”
“Together, we are delivering real results for the American people.”
In his remarks at the event, President Trump touted the Laken Riley Act as a “landmark law.”
“It’s going to save countless innocent American lives. America will never, ever forget Laken Hope Riley,” Trump said. “This horrific atrocity should never have been allowed to happen. And as president, I’m fighting every single day to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.”
Riley’s parents, John Riley and Allyson Phillips, were also on hand for the signing ceremony
“We would like to thank Senator Katie Britt for her diligent bipartisan work to get this bill through the Senate,” Phillips said following the event. “We would also like to thank Congressman Mike Collins for his unwavering passion and for leading on the Laken Riley Act from the start. Our family will forever be grateful for the prayers of the people across our nation and for helping to get this legislation into law. We also want to thank President Trump for the promises he made to us. He said he would secure our borders and that he would never forget about Laken, and he hasn’t. He is a man of his word that will fight for the American people.”
“Most importantly, I want to thank our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, because, without his sacrifices, Laken’s story would have ended on that horrific day that she was taken from us. There’s no amount of change that will ever bring back our precious Laken and our hope moving forward is that her life saves lives.”
The Laken Riley Act is named in honor of a young Georgia woman brutally murdered by an illegal alien from Venezuela in February of 2024.
Austen Shipley is the News Director for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
