WASHINGTON — Thursday, Rep. Jim Banks released the following statement after voting in favor of the Laken Riley Act, legislation named after the 22-year-old student brutally murdered on the University of Georgia campus by an illegal immigrant released by the Biden administration in 2022. This bill would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest, detain, and deport illegal aliens who commit theft-related offenses.
“This was an entirely avoidable tragedy that should have never been allowed to happen,” said Rep. Jim Banks. “I am doubling down on my call for Joe Biden to respect the Riley family’s wishes and say Laken Riley’s name at his State of the Union address tonight.
I fear this is just the beginning of a violent crime epidemic that is the direct result of Joe Biden allowing more than 9 million illegal immigrants into our country. Even after seeing the violent consequences of this open border crisis, 170 Democrats voted against deporting illegal immigrants arrested for theft. It will require the largest deportation in American history to undo the damage done by the Biden administration.”
Earlier this week, Rep. Banks sent a letter to President Biden calling on him to publicly acknowledge the murder of Laken Riley at his State of the Union address and reinstate the successful Trump-era immigration policies that he reversed.
