New Congress Begins with Immigration Crack-Down
January 9, 2025 | Washington, D.C.
by Tabitha Walter, Executive Director, Eagle Forum
Justice for Laken Riley
Laken Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student when she was murdered while jogging on campus at the University of Georgia by José Antonio Ibarra, an illegal Venezuelan immigrant. Despite being apprehended while illegally entering the U.S., Ibarra was released into our nation. Ms. Riley’s murder wasn’t his first — or even his second — offense though.
In a three-month period, he was arrested for violence toward a minor, shoplifting, driving under the influence, driving without a license, and failure to appear in court. The murder occurred just two months after these various arrests.
Since Joe Biden became President in January 2021, over 10.3 million immigrants have crossed the border illegally which includes 8.3 million crossings at our Southwest border. His first order of business was overturning many strong border security measures that President Donald Trump put into place. He then appointed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the “Border Czar” — a move that haunted her during her presidential campaign.
What did the Biden Administration do that allowed Ibarra to roam unchecked? They revamped a mobile phone app to benefit illegal crossers. Originally a cargo inspection app, the Biden administration greatly changed the CBP One app in 2023 to become a de facto parole system and a way to schedule immigration court appearances. The app was reportedly designed to quickly process asylum seekers and keep track of their locations, but instead, it has allowed them to travel freely across the U.S. Undocumented immigrants are allowed to use the app as a form of identification. They have found ways to cheat the system by entering a fake identity or reusing the same U.S. residence as others as their address. Even those who “follow the rules” are forced to wait a year or more for a court date to determine their legal status.
Ibarra was one of those asylum seekers who used his brother’s identification instead of his own. He already had a history of skirting his court dates, so it was clear that he would not have shown up for a court date to confirm his asylum status. Due to this debacle, there is no way ICE could have tracked his whereabouts. This allowed him to roam free throughout the U.S. committing several crimes.
This week, the House took a small step to ensure this situation never happens again. They passed the Laken Riley Act (H.R. 29) which would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to immediately detain illegal immigrants who commit crimes related to theft. This closes the loophole that prevented local law enforcement from taking Mr. Ibarra into custody as a result of his shoplifting offense. Additionally, the bill allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government for the damages they have allowed to happen because of lax parole and immigration laws.
Sponsor of H.R. 29, Representative Mike Collins (R-GA), said:
An illegal criminal came into my district and killed Laken Riley because our local law enforcement did not have the tools to stop him. Laken fought until her last breath, and so will I until this bill crosses the finish line and lands on the President’s desk.
Last year, the House passed this bill with the support of 37 Democrats, but the Senate failed to reach unanimous consent to bring the bill up for a vote. With Senate Republicans in the majority now, there is a fighting chance to get this to the President’s desk. Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) has introduced the Senate companion to H.R.29 (S. 5) along with Senators Ted Budd (R-NC) and John Fetterman (D-PA). Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has promised to make this the first piece of legislation the new Senate passes.
Eagle Forum supported the Laken Riley Act and urged all members to vote in favor of passage. We are pleased with the House’s vote of 264-159, including 48 Democrats, and encourage the Senate to bring it up as soon as possible.
We look forward to the inauguration of President Trump so he can keep his campaign promise and reinstall his effective border security measures. Make sure you renew your Eagle Forum membership today so you can help us push Congress to pass additional border security measures in the months ahead.