Laken Riley Act
Key claim: The Laken Riley Act requires DHS to detain unlawfully present noncitizens charged with or convicted of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting and authorizes states to sue the federal government over specified immigration enforcement decisions or failures that cause state harm.
Abstract
(HR29 · 119th Congress) 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; or failure to detain an individual who has been ordered removed from the United States. Latest action (2025-02-10): Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 10.
Why this matters
The Act broadens the categories of noncitizens subject to mandatory federal detention to include theft-related offenses at the charge stage, meaning affected individuals can be detained without bond hearings before conviction. It also opens a novel avenue for states to litigate against federal immigration enforcement decisions, potentially reshaping the federal-state balance in immigration adjudication and detention capacity planning.