Walberg Votes to Denounce Open Border Policies

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-05) voted in favor of H.R. 29, the Laken Riley Act, which passed the House by a vote of 264-159. In February 2024, Laken Riley, a college nursing student, was murdered by an illegal immigrant in Georgia. Laken's convicted killer, Jose Ibarra, had been arrested previously and was released rather than held by authorities. The Laken Riley Act denounces the Biden administration for their open border policies, requires the detention of illegal immigrants who commit theft and mandates U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) take them into custody, and allows states to legally challenge the federal government for neglecting parole enforcement. 

"Under the Biden administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has recorded more than 8.8 million illegal immigrant encounters at the southern border," said Rep. Walberg. "The administration’s failure to secure our border has negatively impacted communities across America, turning every community into a border community. The passage of the Laken Riley Act represents a vital first step in reversing course and protecting our communities from heinous crimes." 

Congressman Walberg represents Michigan’s 5th Congressional District which includes the counties of Branch, Cass, Hillsdale, Jackson, Lenawee, Monroe, St. Joseph, and parts of Berrien, Calhoun, and Kalamazoo.