A bill to fight migrant crime has been named “Laken’s Law” by state legislators following the murder of a Georgia nursing student by an alleged illegal immigrant while she was out on a morning run.
In publicizing the law, Republican lawmakers Friday called attention to the “devastating effects of the ongoing migrant crisis” and highlighted the hazards of New York’s sanctuary policy. Their bill requires law enforcement and the courts to notify United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the arrest or conviction of non-citizens. In addition, it reinstates the 365-day maximum sentence for Class A misdemeanors and repeals state legislation designed to discourage cooperation with ICE and the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
The suspect charged in the murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley near the Georgia State University in Athens, Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, had been arrested last year for abusing a child in Queens and released. The undocumented Venezuelan is accused of crushing Riley’s skull and has been charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing her death.
"New York Democrats have consistently worked to undermine federal immigration authorities and protect those who enter the United States illegally," said Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo (R-C Sayville), a Laken’s Law co-sponsor. “When migrants feel emboldened to commit acts of violence against New Yorkers, including police officers, it is clear that we need immediate action. We must compel law enforcement at every level to cooperate with ICE and strengthen our laws so that New York is no longer a preferred destination for illegal immigrants - especially those with criminal intent."
“Every level of government failed to protect Laken Riley. They all have blood on their hands,” said Jennifer Harrison of Victims Rights New York. “From President Biden with his open borders and catch and release, to Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, and the New York City Council for their sanctuary policies, to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz who refuses to prosecute crimes, all the way down to the municipality of Athens—every one of them could have prevented this from happening.”
“The tragic death of Laken Riley is a prime example of the dangerous sanctuary policies of Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York Democrats,” said Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano (R-C-Medford). “Jose Ibarra had a documented and unnerving criminal history that was ignored in favor of upholding sanctuary laws, allowing him to walk free after being arrested for reckless endangerment of a child,” DeStefano continued. “The murder of Laken was senseless, horrific, and ultimately preventable. The soft-on-crime agenda of the Democrats is allowing these tragic cases to happen again and again.”
“From day one, we have been calling on Gov. Hochul to rescind Andrew Cuomo's 2017 executive order that made New York a sanctuary state,” said Senator Dean Murray (R-C-East Patchogue), who has a related bill pending. “Had Gov. Hochul rescinded the order and allowed ICE to do their job, Laken Riley would be alive today.”
"The failed immigration policies of President Biden and Gov. Hochul are making New Yorkers less safe,” said Andrew Lanza (R-C-Great Kills), the Senate sponsor of Laken’s Law. “Laken was tragically murdered because New York’s sanctuary policy means that migrants here illegally and who commit a crime have greater protection than law-abiding citizens. Laken would be alive if not for Joe Biden’s open border and Governor Hochul’s perverse and dangerous sanctuary state policy.”
“Communities across our nation are facing unprecedented challenges and are being placed at risk due to a broken immigration system. Immigration policies fail to address crime and crime prevention and have left our communities vulnerable to predators targeting the innocent,” noted Laura A. Ahearn, executive director of the Crime Victims Center. “Law enforcement needs additional resources and for jurisdictions to universally cooperate with ICE, honoring detainers for those charged with crimes.”
The Victims Center director went on to say: “We have seen first-hand how bail reform has negatively impacted victim’s rights, leaving victims feeling even more vulnerable after a crime was committed against them. Bail reform also did not anticipate having to release those arrested without documented identifiers, false identification, use of aliases and being members of a highly transient population without community ties. Immigrants who commit crimes and endanger our communities should not be allowed the privilege of remaining in the U.S., and should be subject to deportation.”
The illegal immigration issue has taken center stage in the race for the White House, with both President Joe Biden and Donald Trump holding competing press conferences at the Southern Border. Biden, who argues that he lacks the executive authority to stem the flow of what he calls “newcomers” into the U.S., encouraged Congress to pass a border bill that would allow up to 5,000 migrants into the country per day and provide amnesty to those already here. Trump ascribed a new category of offenses to Biden, “Migrant Crime,” and said the border problem would be quickly solved if Biden reinstated his Remain in Mexico policy for immigrants seeking political asylum.
Estimates of the number of aliens entering the U.S. under Biden near 15 million from more than 120 different countries. In New York, Mayor Adams said the migrant crisis will “destroy” the city as the immigrant flow has soared past 150,000. Adams reported migrant costs to the city will top $12 billion, while Gov. Hochul has budgeted $2 billion for migrant services, twice what the state spent last year.