NASHVILLE – On Wednesday, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a 26-state coalition calling on the United States Senate to quickly pass the Laken Riley Act.

“Laken Riley's murder should not have happened. I encourage the Senate to pass this legislation to prevent similar evils in the future, and to recognize that our open border policies must end immediately,” General Skrmetti said in a statement today. “Our hearts and prayers are with her family and friends as they mourn her loss.”

The Laken Riley Act, H.R. 7511, requires the detention of any illegal alien for any larceny, burglary, theft, or shoplifting offense. It passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 251-170.

The letter argues that the administration’s immigration policies since 2021 “have created a border crisis of historic proportions. As attorneys general, we are fighting to preserve the rule of law and keep our states safe when the federal government fails to act, or in the case of illegal immigration, actively makes it worse. To that end, we applaud the bill’s enforcement provision for State Attorneys General.”

The Attorneys General added, “We believe the Laken Riley Act is a strong bill that can act as another arrow in the quiver when it comes to combatting illegal immigration and protecting Americans. Please advance this bill to a vote as soon as possible. Laken Riley should still be alive. Let her memory be used to protect others before it’s too late.”

The Attorneys General of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida co-led the letter. General Skrmetti joined Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia in signing it.

The letter can be read here.

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