The Laken Riley Act: A Backdoor to Mass Detention and Deportation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — H.R. 29, the first immigration bill to be considered by the 119th Congress, proposes dangerous and politically motivated changes to immigration policy, including granting state attorneys general the authority to target long-settled immigrants for minor offenses, including DACA and TPS recipients, while creating a pipeline to mass detention and deportation. While framed as a public safety measure, if passed, the legislation would undermine community safety, expand mass detention, and strain an already overburdened immigration system.

In response, Kerri Talbot, Co-Executive Director of the Immigration Hub, released the following statement:

“The Laken Riley Act creates a pipeline for mass detention, not a sensible solution for public safety. This is political gamesmanship at its worst, planting a trap for lawmakers by exploiting a tragedy. This bill weaponizes the justice system to incarcerate immigrants for minor infractions, empowers extremists to rewrite immigration policy, and tears apart families who have long called this country home.

Any legislator who supports this bill is complicit in perpetuating Trump’s plans for mass cruelty and eroding trust in our nation as a place of refuge and opportunity. HR 29 creates more machinery for mass detention and deportation that would devastate our communities and economy while enriching private prison corporations.

Americans overwhelmingly want practical solutions—pathways to citizenship and sensible border security—not more cruelty and chaos. Voting for H.R. 29 is a betrayal of those values. Congress must reject this dangerous legislation and focus on real immigration reform that reflects the compassion and justice our nation stands for. Vote NO on H.R. 29.”

What H.R. 29 Does:

• Puts Long-Settled Immigrants, including DACA recipients and TPS holders, at  High Risk of Family Separation. HR 29 would put noncitizens who are integral to American families and communities at risk of detention and deportation with the roll back of basic due process protections that ensure those who commit crimes face immigration consequences and those who are wrongfully arrested or charged do not lose status. 
  • The first Trump Administration prioritized deporting individuals with no criminal record: In the first year of the Trump administration, federal arrests of undocumented immigrants with no criminal record more than tripled, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement data from his first 14 months in office.

• Empower Attorneys General to Target Immigrants and Mandate Mass Detention Via Frivolous Lawsuits. The bill would allow attorneys general who are hostile to immigrants the power to sue in federal district court to overrule individual and policy decisions made by the executive branch regarding immigration detention. This provision could, among other things, result in the senseless incarceration of innumerable noncitizens without any balancing of the foreign policy, humanitarian, or budgetary consequences. This is a backdoor to mass detention.
• Creates a Pipeline to Indefinite Detention for Petty Offenses.  HR 29 will make any immigrant who is arrested for a petty offense subject to indefinite detention. This new standard–indefinite detention without a criminal conviction–will lead to many being detained and deported for petty offenses, including those that are often dismissed. In communities where racial profiling is already documented and highly problematic, HR 29 would become a weapon for targeting immigrants, making entire communities afraid to report crimes or cooperate with law enforcement.

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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.