Congresswoman Sheri Biggs Champions Passage of the Laken Riley Act

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheri Biggs (R-SC) today voted for final passage of S. 5, the Laken Riley Act, which protects American communities by requiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain illegal aliens who commit serious crimes, including theft, burglary, larceny, assault a law enforcement officer, or causing serious bodily injury to others while committing a crime. It also gives states the power to hold the federal government accountable for immigration enforcement decisions that have harmed the state or its residents.

Congresswoman Biggs issued the following statement on passage of the Act:

“The first bill to head to President Trump’s desk is arguably one of the most important issues to start out this new administration. When I’m traveling around the Third District talking with constituents, the issue of border security and the out-of-control crime that has occurred around the country, as a result of our weak Southern border, is always top of mind. Right next door in Georgia, Laken Riley was a bright young woman whose future was stolen by a criminal who had no legal right to be in the United States,” said Congresswoman Biggs. “Her tragic death was entirely preventable if we had an administration who put Americans first, not illegal aliens. The Laken Riley Act which passed Congress today makes it crystal clear that an illegal alien who has committed offenses, as Laken Riley’s murder did, must be arrested, detained, and deported. The ‘soft-on-crime’ era is over, and the rule of law will be upheld.” 

The Laken Riley Act is named after 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, who was tragically murdered in 2024 by an illegal immigrant with a history of prior arrests. This legislation ensures individuals like her killer are detained and deported to prevent similar tragedies.

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