Attorney General Chris Carr is leading a 26-state coalition calling on the U.S. Senate to quickly pass the Laken Riley Act.

“President Biden’s border crisis failed Laken Riley, New York City failed Laken Riley, and local, soft-on-crime policies failed Laken Riley,” said Carr. “This bill would be a step towards preventing such tragedies from ever happening again.”

The Laken Riley Act, H.R. 7511, requires the detention of any illegal alien for any larceny, burglary, theft, or shoplifting offense. It passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 251-170.

In a letter sent on March 13, 2024, the attorneys general argue, “It’s clear President Biden’s repeated actions of ignoring the rule of law and abandoning successful policies have created a border crisis of historic proportions. As attorneys general, we are fighting to preserve the rule of law and keep our states safe when the federal government fails to act, or in the case of illegal immigration, actively makes it worse. To that end, we applaud the bill’s enforcement provision for State Attorneys General. 

“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 immigration 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.”

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia joined the Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida co-led letter.