Laken Riley Act Signed into Law

January 30, 2025

On January 29, 2025, Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law, making it the first law he has signed in his second term. The Laken Riley Act requires for mandatory detention of undocumented foreign nationals who are charged, but not yet convicted, of crimes involving theft, burglary, larceny, shoplifting, or assault of a law enforcement officer, or any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury to another person. This means that someone could be detained if they are arrested for or charged with committing any of the previously mentioned crimes. It requires detention before any conviction with the increased possibility of deportation for the undocumented foreign nationals. This law also gives states the power to sue the federal government for various immigration related causes including but not limited to when a foreign national is released from custody or for failure to detain an individual who has a final order for deportation.

If you have any questions about how the Laken Riley Act might affect your case, please contact your attorney directly. To schedule a new consultation with one of our attorneys, please complete our consultation request form.

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