ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL JOINS COALITION URGING U.S. SENATE TO OPPOSE LAKEN RILEY ACT

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL JOINS COALITION URGING U.S. SENATE TO OPPOSE LAKEN RILEY ACT

January 16, 2025

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a coalition of attorneys general, faith leaders, union leaders, law enforcement, members of Congress and other elected officials in urging the United States Senate to reject S.5, known as the Laken Riley Act. In a letter to members of the Senate, the coalition argues the legislation would undermine public safety, throw the immigration system into chaos, and endanger immigrant communities, including those who are lawfully living in America under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

"This proposal has clear due process issues and a high potential for abuse," Raoul said. "It would severely strain our nation's already overburdened immigration system and make law enforcement officers' jobs more difficult by potentially fracturing trust with the communities they serve. I stand with other state attorneys general, law enforcement, faith and community leaders, labor leaders and elected officials in calling on the Senate to reject this harmful legislation."

Raoul and the coalition argue that the legislation is flawed and would threaten the core principles of the justice system. The proposal requires the detention, without a conviction or bond hearing, of an undocumented person who is merely accused of "any burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting offense." This mandatory detention and lack of due process would lead to the detention of long-time residents, minors, and many who are lawfully present in the U.S., including DACA recipients, who are commonly referred to as Dreamers. As the coalition explains in the letter, it would also endanger the most vulnerable, enabling domestic abusers to weaponize the threat of detention against their victims and deter them from coming forward.

Raoul and the coalition argue that the legislation would throw the immigration system into unnecessary chaos. Federal law already allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain immigrants facing removal proceedings who have convictions for certain crimes or are believed to pose a public safety risk. ICE itself has warned that passing the measure could threaten to overwhelm its capacity, leading to the release of thousands, including those deemed to be public safety threats.

The legislation's provisions also grant broad authority to state attorneys general to interfere across the immigration system, including the power to enforce the new detention requirements. As the coalition notes, this would create a flood of litigation that would clog federal courts and severely disrupt the current immigration system, undermining public safety.

Among those joining Attorney General Raoul in sending the letter to the U.S. Senate are the attorneys general of Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont.