“The very first piece of legislation signed into law by President Trump in his new term is called the Laken Riley Act.
The name comes from Laken Riley, a twenty-two year old nursing student who was tragically killed by an unauthorized immigrant with a criminal record. This case sparked nationwide outrage, and Trump used it to push for stricter immigration enforcement.”
“This law expands the authority of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and state attorneys general to detain and deport unauthorized immigrants who have been charged—not just convicted—with crimes like:
“The Laken Riley Act amends Section 236(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which is the law of mandatory detention.
Under Section 236(c), certain non-citizens must remain in custody without bond while their removal proceedings are pending. This means that if you fall under the new categories created by this law, you will not have the option to post bond or be released while fighting your case.”
“One of the most controversial aspects of this law is that it targets non-violent offenses like shoplifting.
Why? Because Laken Riley’s murderer had been arrested for shoplifting before he committed the fatal attack. The argument behind this law is that if he had been detained for shoplifting earlier, Riley’s death could have been prevented.”
“Another major change in this law is that ICE now has the authority to place into mandatory detention non-citizens who entered the U.S. without inspection—even if they have no criminal record.
This means that even if you have never been arrested for any crime, if you entered the U.S. without going through a port of entry, you could still be detained without bond. This is a huge expansion of ICE’s power.”
“When Trump introduced the law, he pointed out that Laken Riley’s attacker had evaded law enforcement at least four times before the fatal attack. He argued that soft immigration policies and lack of enforcement allowed this person to remain in the U.S. despite prior arrests.
So, Trump’s administration is making it clear: The focus is on unauthorized immigrants with any criminal record—even minor ones. He has also repeatedly said that he is prioritizing violent unauthorized immigrants over non-violent ones, but this law shows that even non-violent offenses like shoplifting or theft could lead to detention and deportation.”
“So, if you or someone you love—is an unauthorized immigrant with a criminal record… what does this law mean for you?
Let’s break it down:
1. Can you be detained by ICE even if you haven’t been convicted? Yes. If you are arrested or even just charged with certain crimes, ICE can issue a detainer and take you into custody—even if the charges are later dropped.
2. Does it matter how long ago the crime happened? That depends. If you were already convicted before this law was passed, you might not be automatically detained. But if you are charged with a new crime now, your risk of being detained and deported increases significantly.
3. What if the charge is minor, like shoplifting? Under the Laken Riley Act, even shoplifting or petty theft is considered a trigger for detention. And ICE is now required to issue detainers more aggressively.
4. If ICE arrests you under this law, can you fight it? Yes! But it’s going to be much harder. The law is designed to make it more difficult to challenge deportation—which is why having an experienced attorney is now more important than ever.
5. If I live in a sanctuary city, do I need to be concerned about this new law? Yes. Even if your city has policies that limit cooperation with ICE, this law expands the power of federal immigration enforcement.
ICE now has greater authority to arrest and detain unauthorized immigrants who are not taken into custody by local or state officials.
If you are arrested in a sanctuary city, you cannot rely on local protection anymore—ICE can still take action against you.”
“If you or someone you know is undocumented and has ANY past or pending criminal charges, NOW is the time to take action.
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