Laken Riley Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. CLYDE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7511, the Laken Riley Act, and our hearts do go out to her grieving family today.

This bill is in remembrance of Laken Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student who was tragically murdered in my home community of Athens, Georgia, by an illegal alien who should never have even been in the United States. After illegally entering the country, Laken's murderer was arrested by the NYPD in September of 2023 for acting in a manner to injure a minor and for committing a motor vehicle license violation.

Also, according to an Athens-Clarke County police report, this illegal alien went on to shoplift in Georgia the following month. Clearly, this illegal alien had a pattern of criminal history, one that started when he accepted Joe Biden's invitation to illegally enter our country and do so under an abuse of the parole system.

He should never have been allowed to reside in the United States illegally, and ICE should have immediately issued a detainer after he committed these crimes because, ultimately, if ICE had issued a detainer, this illegal alien would never have been in the United States to commit the horrific murder of Laken Riley.

We must enact changes now to protect communities across the country from facing additional avoidable tragedies. H.R. 7511 provides a commonsense solution to do just that. This legislation requires ICE to issue detainers and take custody of illegal aliens who commit crimes like theft, burglary, and larceny.

Additionally, the local jurisdiction, the Clarke County Sheriff's Office, would also have to recognize and act upon the ICE detainer. When you have a sanctuary city like the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government ignoring these detainers, it makes them a magnet for criminal illegal aliens.

Therefore, I call right now on Athens-Clarke County to publicly reject their sanctuary city policy. If they did, it would be a strong step in the right direction toward preventing our citizens from becoming future victims of violent crimes committed by illegal aliens.

Additionally, the Laken Riley Act contains within it Representative Dan Bishop's own legislation that just passed out of the Judiciary Committee. It is called the Standing Up to the Executive branch for Immigration Enforcement Act. Hence, my friend, I want to recognize your part in making this legislation happen.

These important provisions that Representative Bishop authored give State attorneys general standing to bring suit against DHS Secretary Mayorkas, Secretary of State Blinken, and Attorney General Garland for violating certain immigration laws that harm the State or its respective citizens. Representative Bishop's legislation also allows for appropriate injunctive relief and expedites the disposition of such civil actions.

This important legislation is critical. As a cosponsor, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the Laken Riley Act. After all, one of the most formidable ways that Congress can deliver justice to the Laken Riley family is by passing this legislation.

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