Washington, D.C. — Leadership from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) condemned the passage of the Laken Riley Act by Congress today, arguing that the bill fails to address public safety concerns while wasting taxpayer dollars on litigation and unnecessary detentions.
AILA President Kelli Stump called Riley’s death a tragedy but warned that the legislation would not improve safety.
“Public safety must be a priority, but this bill does nothing to achieve it,” Stump said. “Instead, it empowers anti-immigrant state officials to sue the federal government, draining resources on politically driven lawsuits. Worse, it mandates detention for individuals merely accused—not convicted—of minor offenses, tearing apart families and communities.”
The bill, named after Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student whose alleged killing by an undocumented immigrant sparked national outrage, has drawn criticism for its enforcement measures. AILA argues that the legislation aligns with what they call the Biden administration’s “chaotic” immigration policies, further destabilizing the system without offering real solutions.
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson accused lawmakers of prioritizing political messaging over meaningful reform.
“The first bill passed by the 119th Congress should have been a step toward fixing our broken immigration system—not a divisive measure that undermines due process,” Johnson said. “Mandating detention will disrupt criminal prosecutions and violate the presumption of innocence, all while costing billions. Meanwhile, states will waste time and money on lawsuits instead of protecting women and girls, which polls show is what Americans actually want.”
The Laken Riley Act allows states to challenge federal immigration policies in court and requires the detention of noncitizens accused of certain misdemeanors, including shoplifting. Critics argue the move is unconstitutional and could lead to mass detentions of long-term residents with deep community ties.
AILA urged Congress and the White House to focus on comprehensive immigration reform rather than what they describe as performative legislation.
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