The Laken Riley Act, enacted by President Donald Trump during his second term, requires the detention of illegal immigrants arrested for certain crimes, including theft, DUI, and violent offenses such as murder and assault. This legislation was named after Laken Riley, a college student from Georgia who was murdered by a Venezuelan illegal immigrant previously arrested and released.

Under the act, individuals arrested for qualifying crimes must be held for processing by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), even if they have not yet been convicted. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently concluded "Operation Angel’s Honor," a nationwide initiative aimed at enforcing the Laken Riley Act, resulting in the arrest of over 1,000 individuals identified as offenders under this law.

Critics of the Laken Riley Act argue that it may lead to the detention of individuals who do not pose a safety risk, as the law allows for detention based on arrest rather than conviction. Nayna Gupta, policy director for the American Immigration Council, stated that the act undermines due process rights and grants excessive power to state attorneys general over immigration policy. Gupta emphasized that the law does not effectively address safety concerns or improve the immigration system, instead potentially leading to the indefinite detention of non-citizens without adequate legal protections.