I cast my first vote of the 119th Congress today, and I cast it in favor of a secure border, in support of law and order, and in honor of a Georgia nursing student who would still be with us today, if it weren’t for Joe Biden’s disastrous immigration policies.

Laken Riley was tragically murdered by an illegal immigrant who should have been detained following his arrest in New York months earlier. However, he was released, and as a result, Laken was taken from her friends and family far too soon.

The Laken Riley Act will require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal immigrants who commit crimes such as theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting, and ensure they are detained until they are removed from the United States. This common sense legislation will prevent them from reoffending and causing further tragedies in our communities. It will also protect Americans by allowing states to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration laws or who violate them.

This is a nationwide problem. Just last year, hundreds of illegal immigrants in Florida’s 21st Congressional District were arrested. If a single one of those individuals had an ICE hold removed and he or she was released, it’s an unacceptable failure and a threat to public safety. 

We must restore law and order, and passing this bill is an important step to do just that.