State Attorney General Letitia James is calling on U.S. senators to reject S.5, the Laken Riley Act, which seeks to expand federal detention of undocumented migrants accused—but not convicted—of theft-related crimes.
In a letter signed by 43 elected officials and clergy members from across the country, James said told Senate members that the bill “goes against our fundamental values and will undermine rather than promote public safety.”
The legislation was named for Laken Riley, a 22-year-old University of Georgia nursing student who was murdered in February 2024 by Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan national who faced a prior shoplifting charge while in the U.S. unlawfully. Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the Riley’s murder.
