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HR 29
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Laken Riley Act

Introduced Jan 3, 2025

Latest action (Feb 10, 2025) Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 10.

Summary

This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to take into custody and detain aliens who are charged with theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting. It expands mandatory detention requirements for certain classes of aliens to include those charged with these property crimes. The bill also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government in federal court if they believe these detention or release requirements are violated, with courts instructed to expedite these lawsuits. The bill was passed by the House in January 2025.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)

54 cosponsors

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Mike Collins’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

  • NULL $58,488
  • HANNA CAPITAL $9,900
  • JACKSON EMC $7,950
  • J M TANK LINES, INC. $6,600
  • BOSWELL OIL COMPANY $6,600

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Mike Collins → · Outside spending →

Actions (13)

  1. Feb 10, 2025 Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 10. · senate
  2. Feb 6, 2025 Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time. · senate
  3. Jan 8, 2025 Received in the Senate. · senate
  4. Jan 7, 2025 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
  5. Jan 7, 2025 On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 264 - 159 (Roll no. 6). (text: CR H53-54) · house
  6. Jan 7, 2025 Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 264 - 159 (Roll no. 6). (text: CR H53-54)
  7. Jan 7, 2025 Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H61) · house
  8. Jan 7, 2025 POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 29, the Chair put the question on passage of the bill and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Raskin demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced. · house
  9. Jan 7, 2025 The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. · house
  10. Jan 7, 2025 DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 29. · house
  11. Jan 7, 2025 Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 5. (consideration: CR H53-61) · house
  12. Jan 3, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. · house
  13. Jan 3, 2025 Introduced in House

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Roll-call votes (1)

How the chamber voted on this bill — the outcome, the tally by party, and every member's recorded position. A factual record.

More bills on these subjects (8)

Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).

Text versions (3)

  • Placed on Calendar Senate · Feb 10, 2025
  • Engrossed in House · Jan 7, 2025
  • Introduced in House · Jan 3, 2025

Full text

AN ACT

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody aliens who have been charged in the United States with theft, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Laken Riley Act”.

SEC. 2. DETENTION OF CERTAIN ALIENS WHO COMMIT THEFT.

Section 236(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1226(c)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1)—

(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking “or”;

(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the comma at the end and inserting “, or”; and

(C) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:

“(E)(i) is inadmissible under paragraph (6)(A),

(6)(C), or (7) of section 212(a), and

“(ii) is charged with, is arrested for, is convicted of, admits having committed, or admits committing acts which constitute the essential elements of any burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting offense,”;

(2) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (4); and

(3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:

“(2) Definition.—For purposes of paragraph (1)(E), the terms ‘burglary’, ‘theft’, ‘larceny’, and ‘shoplifting’ have the meaning given such terms in the jurisdiction where the acts occurred.

“(3) Detainer.—The Secretary of Homeland Security shall issue a detainer for an alien described in paragraph (1)(E) and, if the alien is not otherwise detained by Federal, State, or local officials, shall effectively and expeditiously take custody of the alien.”.

SEC. 3. ENFORCEMENT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL OF A STATE.

(a) Inspection of Applicants for Admission.—Section 235(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1225(b)) is amended—

(1) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:

“(3) Enforcement by attorney general of a state.—The attorney general of a State, or other authorized State officer, alleging a violation of the detention and removal requirements under paragraphs (1) or (2) that harms such State or its residents shall have standing to bring an action against the Secretary of Homeland Security on behalf of such State or the residents of such State in an appropriate district court of the United States to obtain appropriate injunctive relief. The court shall advance on the docket and expedite the disposition of a civil action filed under this paragraph to the greatest extent practicable. For purposes of this paragraph, a State or its residents shall be considered to have been harmed if the State or its residents experience harm, including financial harm in excess of $100.”.

(b) Apprehension and Detention of Aliens.—Section 236 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1226), as amended by this Act, is further amended—

(1) in subsection (e)—

(A) by striking “or release”; and

(B) by striking “grant, revocation, or denial” and insert “revocation or denial”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“(f) Enforcement by Attorney General of a State.—The attorney general of a State, or other authorized State officer, alleging an action or decision by the Attorney General or Secretary of Homeland Security under this section to release any alien or grant bond or parole to any alien that harms such State or its residents shall have standing to bring an action against the Attorney General or Secretary of Homeland Security on behalf of such State or the residents of such State in an appropriate district court of the United States to obtain appropriate injunctive relief. The court shall advance on the docket and expedite the disposition of a civil action filed under this subsection to the greatest extent practicable. For purposes of this subsection, a State or its residents shall be considered to have been harmed if the State or its residents experience harm, including financial harm in excess of $100.”.

(c) Penalties.—Section 243 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1253) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(e) Enforcement by Attorney General of a State.—The attorney general of a State, or other authorized State officer, alleging a violation of the requirement to discontinue granting visas to citizens, subjects, nationals, and residents as described in subsection (d) that harms such State or its residents shall have standing to bring an action against the Secretary of State on behalf of such State or the residents of such State in an appropriate district court of the United States to obtain appropriate injunctive relief. The court shall advance on the docket and expedite the disposition of a civil action filed under this subsection to the greatest extent practicable. For purposes of this subsection, a State or its residents shall be considered to have been harmed if the State or its residents experience harm, including financial harm in excess of $100.”.

(d) Certain Classes of Aliens.—Section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)) is amended—

(1) by striking “Attorney General” each place it appears and inserting “Secretary of Homeland Security”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“(C) The attorney general of a State, or other authorized State officer, alleging a violation of the limitation under subparagraph (A) that parole solely be granted on a case-by-case basis and solely for urgent humanitarian reasons or a significant public benefit, that harms such State or its residents shall have standing to bring an action against the Secretary of Homeland Security on behalf of such State or the residents of such State in an appropriate district court of the United States to obtain appropriate injunctive relief. The court shall advance on the docket and expedite the disposition of a civil action filed under this subparagraph to the greatest extent practicable. For purposes of this subparagraph, a State or its residents shall be considered to have been harmed if the State or its residents experience harm, including financial harm in excess of $100.”.

(e) Detention.—Section 241(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1231(a)(2)) is amended—

(1) by striking “During the removal period,” and inserting the following:

“(A) In general.—During the removal period,”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“(B) Enforcement by attorney general of a state.— The attorney general of a State, or other authorized State officer, alleging a violation of the detention requirement under subparagraph (A) that harms such State or its residents shall have standing to bring an action against the Secretary of Homeland Security on behalf of such State or the residents of such State in an appropriate district court of the United States to obtain appropriate injunctive relief. The court shall advance on the docket and expedite the disposition of a civil action filed under this subparagraph to the greatest extent practicable. For purposes of this subparagraph, a State or its residents shall be considered to have been harmed if the State or its residents experience harm, including financial harm in excess of $100.”.

(f) Limit on Injunctive Relief.—Section 242(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1252(f)) is amended by adding at the end following:

“(3) Certain actions.—Paragraph (1) shall not apply to an action brought pursuant to section 235(b)(3), subsections (e) or (f) of section 236, or section 241(a)(2)(B).”.

Passed the House of Representatives January 7, 2025.

Attest:

Clerk. 119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 29

AN ACT

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody aliens who have been charged in the United States with theft, and for other purposes.

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