Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is strongly urging U.S. senators to pass the Laken Riley Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The Laken Riley Act would require detention of any illegal alien who is charged with burglary, theft, larceny or shoplifting.
The bill passed the House in a bipartisan fashion. The legislation follows the tragic and avoidable death of University of Georgia student Laken Riley who is alleged to have been murdered by a Venezuelan national, Jose Ibarra, an illegal criminal alien.
“Over three years ago, my office sued the Biden administration for refusing to deport aliens here illegally who commit crimes,” Attorney General Ashley Moody said. “Biden has dismantled our public safety immigration structures entirely. It seems every month, this crisis worsens and in the case of Laken Riley, and many other innocent Americans, it has ended in tragedy. Enough is enough. The Senate needs to pass the Laken Riley Act swiftly so we, as a nation, can begin to fix the countless problems this president has created.”
In a letter sent by a 26-state coalition of attorneys general, it states, “Riley’s death could have been prevented on multiple fronts, but the system failed her. In August 2023, Ibarra was arrested in New York for alleged child endangerment but was released before immigration officials could request local authorities hold him in custody. Then in October 2023, Ibarra was charged with alleged shoplifting in Georgia.”
In March 2021, Attorney General Moody took legal action against the Biden administration saying, “As Attorney General, my job is to protect Floridians. Every day I work tirelessly to make Florida stronger and safer. Whether it is fighting the opioid epidemic, combating human trafficking or helping domestic violence victims, we are confronted with these real-life problems. The Biden administration’s reckless policy of refusing to do their jobs and deport criminals, places all those gains and Floridians’ public safety at risk. Until President Biden’s inauguration, presidents of both parties detained and deported criminals. This is a radical shift that places Floridians and our law enforcement officers in greater danger, and that is why I filed suit.”
The letter by the coalition concludes saying, “We believe the Laken Riley Act is a strong bill that can act as another arrow in the quiver when it comes to combatting illegal immigrations and protecting Americans. Please advance this bill to a vote as soon as possible. Laken Riley should still be alive. Let her memory be used to protect others before it’s too late.”
Attorney General Moody is joined by the following state attorneys general in the coalition and letter: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.
Read the full letter here:
LakenRileyAct_letter1
