The amendment, introduced by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), would ensure criminals are detained, due process is upheld, and children are protected from mandatory detention while implementing policies that would have prevented Laken Riley’s death

Senator Reverend Warnock: “This amendment preserves provisions that would have prevented Laken Riley’s death while strengthening law enforcement’s ability to remove heinous criminals like Jose Ibarra from our communities“

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) co-sponsored an amendment to strengthen the Laken Riley Act. The amendment, introduced by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), would preserve the intent of the Laken Riley Act: to implement policies that would have prevented Laken Riley’s death while strengthening law enforcement’s ability to keep communities safe from dangerous criminals.

“Laken Riley should be alive today. This amendment preserves provisions that would have prevented Laken Riley’s death while strengthening law enforcement’s ability to remove heinous criminals like Jose Ibarra from our communities. At the end of the day, bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform is the best way to fix our broken immigration system and keep our families safe. That should always be our north star.”  

The amendment would:

• Prioritize removing dangerous criminals from Georgia’s communities,
• Require mandatory detention for undocumented noncitizens convicted of a crime resulting in serious bodily injury, burglary, theft, or larceny,
• Detain noncitizens who have been arrested or charged with a criminal offense and fails to appear in court, which would have covered crimes committed by Jose Ibarra and could have prevented the death of Laken Riley, and
• Protect children from mandatory detention.

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