Congressman Chris Smith expressed elation and gratitude this week as the House of Representatives passed the Laken Riley Act to enhance and strengthen deportation laws and better protect Americans from criminal aliens who enter the U.S as well as President Donald Trump’s executive order pausing new offshore wind approvals and requiring a comprehensive review of approved projects.
Regarding the Laken Riley Act, the Congressman also offered the sympathy of himself and his wife Marie to the family of the young woman whose senseless murder “is the direct result of the Biden administration’s illegal open-border policies,” Smith said. “This legislation, named in her honor, closes the loophole that allowed her killer to evade ICE detainers, and ensures immigration laws are followed.”
Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was reported missing by a roommate on Thursday, February 22, 2024, after she did not come home from a run. She was found dead later that day. Her killer, Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, had previously entered the U.S. illegally and was arrested twice before on charges of shoplifting and endangering the welfare of a child.
The final version of the bill, which now heads to the President’s desk, also expands the list of criminal offenses that subject inadmissible aliens to detention to include assault on a law enforcement officer and crimes that result in serious bodily injury or death.
“I look forward to continuing to work with President Trump to adopt more commonsense immigration laws, secure our southern border, and keep our communities safe,” Smith said.
Concerning offshore wind buildout, Smith declares the executive order “a victory for everyone along the New Jersey coast.” The Congressman has been in the lead for several years opposing the offshore wind buildout along the New Jersey shore, critical of the former president for failing to address the serious safety, efficacy, cost and legal concerns of industrializing the oceans.
Smith has led multiple efforts to secure answers from the Biden Administration on offshore wind. He introduced legislation which was passed by the House in July, 2023, that would require presidential certification that offshore wind projects would not “weaken, degrade, interfere with, or nullify the capability of radar relied upon by the Federal Aviation Administration or the Armed Forces.”
Smith’s legislative effort came immediately after BOEM Director Liz Klein failed to offer specific details when pressed by Smith at a congressional hearing on whether offshore wind projects would make military vessel navigation less safe.
“For years, we have been pointing out the lack of proper vetting and legal deficiency of these projects, but the Biden-Harris Administration ignored our concerns—unilaterally dismissing specific questions on the dangers wind farms present to national security radar systems, marine mammals, and the livelihoods of our coastal communities,” Smith said. “. I have fought against the previous administration and am delighted that President Trump has heard the concerns and widespread public outcry.”
The Trump executive order ensures that with “the new administration asking the questions the public has been demanding answers on for years, I expect the many holes and safety gaps in the offshore wind approval process to come to light,” the Congressman concluded.
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