OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Gentner Drummond is praising the U.S. Senate for the passage of the Laken Riley Act.
The legislation mandates federal detention of illegal immigrants charged with burglary, theft, shoplifting and larceny. It also grants new authority to state attorneys general to force the federal government to deport illegal immigrants who have caused the state or its citizens harm in excess of $100.
The bill, which passed the House earlier this month, is named for a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant last year. The killer had been arrested and charged with shoplifting but had not been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“The Laken Riley Act is a commonsense measure that should not even be needed,” said Drummond. “The Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border and enforce existing immigration laws has resulted in deadly consequences for the Riley family and so many others. I am thankful that Oklahoma’s entire Congressional delegation has prioritized the safety of American families by supporting this important legislation, and I am excited for President Trump to sign it into law.”
Drummond said he is particularly pleased that the measure broadens the authority of state attorneys general, giving them the right to sue federal officials and force them to fulfill their duties under the law.
“Giving state attorneys general the authority to force derelict federal officials to do their job is a game changer for public safety,” Drummond said. “Had this measure been in place under the Biden Administration, I would have had the power to force the deportation of thousands of criminal illegal immigrants here in Oklahoma who have caused immeasurable harm.”
In March, Drummond and 25 other state attorneys general wrote U.S. Senate leaders urging swift passage of the Laken Riley Act. It passed in the House but stalled in the Senate.
