Laken Riley Act
Latest Action
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 10.
Official Summary
Laken Riley Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The bill also authorizes states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement. Under this bill, DHS must detain an individual who (1) is unlawfully present in the United States or did not possess the necessary documents when applying for admission; and (2) has been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admits to having committed acts that constitute the essential elements of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The bill also authorizes state governments to sue for injunctive relief over certain immigration-related decisions or alleged failures by the federal government if the decision or failure caused the state or its residents harm, including financial harm of more than $100. Specifically, the state government may sue the federal government over a decision to release a non-U.S. national from custody;failure to fulfill requirements relating to inspecting individuals seeking admission into the United States, including requirements related to asylum interviews;failure to fulfill a requirement to stop issuing visas to nationals of a country that unreasonably denies or delays acceptance of nationals of that country;violation of limitations on immigration parole, such as the requirement that parole be granted only on a case-by-case basis; orfailure to detain an individual who has been ordered removed from the United States.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™The Laken Riley Act mandates the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain certain non-U.S. nationals who are unlawfully present or lack proper admission documents and have been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admit to burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. Additionally, the bill authorizes state governments to sue the federal government for injunctive relief if federal immigration enforcement decisions or failures cause harm to the state or its residents, including financial harm exceeding $100. The bill outlines specific grounds for such lawsuits, including decisions to release non-U.S. nationals from custody, failures related to admission inspections and asylum interviews, visa issuance to nationals of countries that delay acceptance of U.S. nationals, violations of immigration parole limitations, and failures to detain individuals ordered removed from the U.S.
The Laken Riley Act strengthens immigration enforcement by requiring detention of certain non-U.S. nationals involved in specific crimes and empowers states to hold the federal government accountable through lawsuits over immigration enforcement decisions or failures.
- DHS must detain non-U.S. nationals unlawfully present or without proper admission documents who are involved in burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.
- States are authorized to sue the federal government for injunctive relief if immigration enforcement decisions or failures cause harm, including financial harm over $100.
- Specific grounds for state lawsuits include release decisions, failures in admission inspections and asylum interviews, visa issuance policies, parole limitations, and failure to detain individuals ordered removed.
['Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through clearer detention mandates', 'State governments by gaining legal authority to sue the federal government over immigration enforcement issues', 'Potentially communities concerned with enforcement of immigration laws related to property crimes']
['Implementation challenges in detaining individuals based on specified crimes and immigration status', 'Potential increase in litigation costs and administrative burden due to state lawsuits against the federal government', 'Oversight and coordination complexities between federal and state authorities regarding immigration enforcement', 'Financial and resource implications for DHS and state governments related to detention and legal actions']
The bill was introduced in the House and has passed the Senate, currently placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar. It addresses immigration enforcement policies, specifically focusing on detention requirements for certain non-U.S. nationals and expanding state authority to challenge federal immigration decisions. The policy area is immigration, reflecting ongoing legislative interest in enforcement and state-federal relations.
Hidden impact flags detected: 2
GovScope reviewed 2 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.
['Potential increase in state-federal legal disputes over immigration enforcement policies and practices.', 'Possible impact on DHS detention capacity and resource allocation due to expanded detention requirements.', 'States may experience financial and administrative effects from engaging in litigation against the federal government.', 'Changes in immigration enforcement could affect community relations and local law enforcement cooperation.']
The bill expands state authority to sue the federal government over immigration enforcement, which may increase transparency and accountability but also raises oversight considerations regarding the volume and nature of litigation. The detention mandate for DHS introduces operational and resource implications that warrant monitoring. Full bill text was not available, limiting detailed analysis of specific provisions and enforcement mechanisms.
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