Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) in a statement to Breitbart News said that Republicans are passing the Laken Riley Act and Sarah’s Law to close loopholes that prevent illegal aliens criminals from facing justice.
More than two-thirds of senators voted to approve the Laken Riley Act on Monday, with 12 Senate Democrats voting for the legislation.
The bill requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal aliens who are charged, arrested, or convicted of committing acts of “burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.”
The Senate also approved two amendments, including Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX), which adds assault of a law enforcement officer to crimes that trigger detention. The other is Ernst’s proposal, Sarah’s Law.
Ernst pushed for Sarah’s Law as the country approaches the 9th anniversary of the death of 21-year-old Iowan, Sarah Root, at the hands of an illegal alien driving drunk.
She has long pushed for the legislation’s passage; however, with the historic election of Donald Trump, it appears the tide is turning.
The bill would amend the mandatory detention provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act to require the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to detain illegal aliens criminally charged with killing or seriously injuring another person. It would also mandate that when encountering an illegal alien subject to mandatory detention, ICE must identify victims and inform their families.
Ernst told Breitbart News that Republicans are closing many of the loopholes that lead to protect American families.
“Our laws will no longer prioritize dangerous criminal illegal immigrants over U.S. citizens. Nearly nine years to the day when 21-year-old Iowan Sarah Root was killed, the Senate has passed Sarah’s Law in her honor to close the loophole that allowed her killer to escape justice,” Ernst said her statement to Breitbart News.
“Open border policies are not just wrong, they are cruel. Republicans are securing the border and closing migrant crime loopholes to ensure that no family is forced to endure the agony that the Root family did,” she continued.
“Nearly 9 years after Iowan Sarah Root was killed by an illegal immigrant, the Senate has passed my Sarah’s Law as an amendment to the Laken Riley Act. We are taking action to ensure our laws no longer prioritize illegal immigrants over Americans,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
🚨Nearly 9 years after Iowan Sarah Root was killed by an illegal immigrant, the Senate has passed my Sarah's Law as an amendment to the Laken Riley Act.
— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) January 20, 2025
We are taking action to ensure our laws no longer prioritize illegal immigrants over Americans.
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on X @SeanMoran3.
