Important context about the Laken Riley Act - What’s Really at Stake
Why this bill threatens immigrant communities—and our values as a country
If you’ve heard about the Laken Riley Act, the headlines might make it sound like a common-sense bill about safety. But if you dig deeper, you’ll see it’s anything but. This legislation could change the fabric of our communities and undermine the principles that define us as a country.
It took me over two days of research to create the video for this post. I reached out to immigration experts, advocates, and policy analysts. I read through countless articles, trying to piece together the full story behind the Laken Riley Act. And let me tell you, at first glance, it’s easy to see why this bill might seem reasonable. We all want safer communities, right?
But here’s the thing: this bill masquerades as a solution to public safety while quietly setting the stage for chaos, injustice, and fear. Even I felt a twinge of agreement when I first skimmed the headlines. It’s designed to mislead, preying on our shared desire for safety.
What worries me most is that many people won’t dig deeper. They’ll stop at the headlines or the first few paragraphs of an article and assume this bill is the answer. But it’s not. It’s a dangerous, divisive proposal that threatens to harm immigrant communities and dismantle basic rights for everyone.
Let’s break this down.
What the Laken Riley Act Really Does
At first glance, this bill claims to address public safety. But here’s the truth:
It allows local authorities to enforce federal immigration law, turning any encounter with the police into a potential immigration investigation.
It mandates detention without bail for immigrants, even those who’ve only been arrested, not convicted. No due process. No chance to defend themselves.
It gives anti-immigrant state attorneys general unprecedented power to overrule federal immigration policy.
What does that mean in practice? Racial profiling on steroids. Communities, especially Black and Brown ones, would live in fear of being targeted because of how they look or sound.
We’ve Seen This Before, and It Was Ugly
Remember Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona? Under his watch, entire communities lived in constant fear, regardless of their immigration status. Families were torn apart, trust in local law enforcement evaporated, and civil rights were trampled.
The Laken Riley Act would take those horrors nationwide. It’s a recipe for chaos, cruelty, and division.
Why This Bill Affects All of Us
Maybe you’re thinking, “I’m not an immigrant. This doesn’t affect me.” But here’s the thing: When we dismantle rights for some, we weaken them for everyone.
This bill goes against fundamental American values like fairness, justice, and the right to a day in court. It’s about more than immigration; it’s about what kind of country we want to be.
What You Can Do Right Now
Here’s the good news: We can stop this.
The Laken Riley Act has already passed in the House of Representatives, but it’s now in the Senate. This is our chance to act.
48 Democrats in the House of Representatives voted YES on this bill. If you want to know who they are, click here.
Here’s how:
Call your senators and tell them to vote NO. (You can find their contact info here) or you can call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121
Share this post with your friends, family, and community. Let’s make sure everyone understands what’s at stake. I have this information on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, BlueSky, and Threads.
Speak up! The power of collective action is real.
Jess Craven from Chop Wood, Carry Water gave us this script to call.
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
Please vote no on S. 5, the Laken Riley Act. This is NOT a border security bill. It's unconstitutional and puts hardworking immigrants, including DACA-recipients, at risk of indefinite detention and deportation. It will not prevent future tragedies; it will instead make more communities across America less safe while destabilizing those communities and their economies. Please, ask the Senator to oppose it and work to craft legislation that actually addresses our border crisis. Thanks.
[If Democrat please add:] Please file as many amendments as possible to slow down this bill. And please, at the very least, strip out the provision to empower state attorneys general to sue the federal government. It would almost certainly be exploited by bad actors. Thanks.
(Here’s a list of Democratic and Independent Senators who are expressing willingness to support this bill—they need special attention.)
Let’s Be Clear:
Laken Riley’s death was a tragedy, and we all want safer communities. But targeting immigrant families, throwing away due process, and fueling division isn’t the answer.
The fight for justice starts with us. Let’s make those calls, raise our voices, and stop this harmful bill from becoming law.
I need your help. Together, we can spread the word and raise our voices to make our senators understand that this bill is not the solution.
And here’s what’s even more frustrating: Last year, senators from both parties worked together to create a new immigration bill. Republican Senator James Lankford was one of the main leaders of this effort. Here's a simple explanation of what the bill included:
Faster processing: The bill would make it quicker to check if people coming to the border can stay in the US or not.
More border security: It would give more money to agencies that protect the border and help stop illegal drugs from coming in.
New asylum rules: The bill would make it harder for people to claim asylum, which is when someone asks to stay in the US because it's dangerous in their home country.
Emergency border closures: If too many people try to cross the border at once, the government could temporarily close it.
Help for some immigrants: The bill would create new ways for some people, like Afghans who helped US troops, to legally stay in the country.
More visas: It would increase the number of visas (permission to enter the US) for families and workers.
Deportation changes: The bill would make it easier to send people back to their home countries if they're not allowed to stay in the US.
These changes were meant to make the immigration system work better by controlling who comes into the country, processing people faster, and giving the government more tools to manage the border.
However, the bill faced a lot of opposition and didn't pass. Republican senators tanked that bill. Why? Because Trump wanted to keep immigration as a wedge issue for his campaign. It’s a cruel political strategy, and the Laken Riley Act is just the latest example of it.
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Jess Craven offers sample language to use when contacting your senators in her substack, https://open.substack.com/pub/chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions/p/chop-wood-carry-water-110-9b6?r=2j3v8&utm_medium=ios
I’m going to write mine! (Grateful that my Rep., Valerie Foushee, voted AGAINST the Laken Riley Act.).