February 2, 2025

Dear Neighbor,

We're cruising by Mile Marker #19 and it's time to talk about what's been happening these past few weeks in Washington and the District! 

It’s been an action-packed, historic last few weeks in Washington. It was great having patriots from Georgia’s 10th in my office to watch the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump. It was going to take more than some cold weather to stop us from ushering in that historic moment for our country and its citizens. It is now a New Day in America. I was grateful to be able to share it with some of the folks that helped get us here.

I was in the White House with President Trump as he signed the Laken Riley Act as the first bill of his second presidency. It was powerful moment when Laken’s mother addressed the nation from the White House. Laken’s name will now be responsible for saving American lives as our country starts to mend the policies that caused this pain.

It was a great pleasure to host Dr. Benny Tate from Rock Springs Church in Milner, GA. It was an honor to have him step in as a guest chaplain during a House Pro Forma Session in which I presided over. 

I was honored to be named Chairman of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Sam Graves. I look forward to reforming unfair regulations and supporting our global trade economy to build up America’s ports, including the Port of Savannah, to their highest potential. Now is our best opportunity to make generational changes.

To kick off our first, full Transportation & Infrastructure Committee hearing of the 119th Congress, I questioned witnesses on the need for tort reform. We have become a sue-crazy nation where trial lawyers are exploiting our legal system at the expense of everyday consumers. In my closing statement, I switched topics to remind witnesses that air traffic controllers are experiencing hiring problems because they started hiring individuals for reasons other than ability and merit.

Back in Georgia’s 10th, I was proud to announce AceAI as the winners of Georgia’s 10th Congressional District App Challenge. These North Oconee High School students embody the entrepreneurial spirit and drive that our country needs to stay competitive in the AI and emerging technology fields.

I also had the pleasure of attending Governor Kemp’s press conference announcing the rollout of much-needed tort reform legislation. I’m grateful for his leadership and commitment to protecting jobs and small businesses so Georgia can remain the best place to live, work, and raise a family. He was also gracious enough to recognize my work on getting the Laken Riley Act signed into law. Much appreciated, Governor!

It was great to stop by Union Grove High School to watch the individual regional wrestling finals and spend some time with the Ola High School wrestling team. These students have a bright future ahead of them, and I was proud to be there to support them. 

As always, my staff and I are here to help. If you need assistance with a federal agency or have comments or concerns to share with me, please do not hesitate to call my Monroe or Washington, D.C. offices. To receive frequent updates, I encourage you to visit my website, like my Facebook page, and follow me on X.

Sincerely  Mike Collins
Member of Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. OFFICE
2351 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4101
MONROE DISTRICT OFFICE
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Monroe , GA 30655
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January 29, 2025 Press Release

Washington, D.C. – Today, President Trump signed Rep. Mike Collins’ (GA-10) Laken Riley Act into law. This is the first bill signed into law by 47th U.S. President Donald Trump, and is named for Laken Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an illegal alien on the University of Georgia’s campus on February 22, 2024. 

“Nearly one year ago, Laken Riley’s life was taken by a career criminal illegal alien. Today, with the full support of President Trump, a bicameral group of Republicans and Democrats, and the American people, we were finally able to bring justice to the Riley family and ensure that this can never happen again,” said Rep. Mike Collins. “I am beyond grateful to President Trump for making the Laken Riley Act the first law signed under his presidency and finally giving closure to the Riley family. We’re committed to delivering commonsense solutions to fix our broken immigration system, and the Laken Riley Act delivers it.”

The Laken Riley Act requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain and repatriate illegal aliens who commit theft, burglary, larceny, shoplifting, assault against police officers, and crimes that result in serious bodily harm or death. This legislation also allows for states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for injunctive relief if immigration actions such as parole, violation of detention requirements, or other policy failures harm that state or its citizens.

“Nothing meaningful happens in Washington, D.C. unless the people demand it,” continued Rep. Mike Collins. “I am beyond grateful to the thousands of concerned citizens who called their representatives’ offices to demand that the Laken Riley Act pass and that these criminals be removed from their communities.”

“I’m honored to be with President Trump, Congressman Mike Collins, members of our Congressional Delegation, and members of the Georgia House to celebrate the signing of the Laken Riley Act,” said Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns. “The American people delivered a mandate to Washington to crack down on illegal immigration and keep our citizens safe. President Trump is delivering on his promises, and here in Georgia—we stand ready to support his administration in their efforts every step of the way.” 

This bipartisan bill passed 263-156 in the U.S. House of Representatives and 64-35 in the U.S. Senate, with 46 House Democrats and 12 Senate Democrats joining all Republicans. 

Background

• The bill directly addresses one of the federal policy failures related to Laken Riley’s murder. Her murderer, Jose Ibarra, is an illegal alien who had been previously cited for shoplifting by the Athens Police Department. If local law enforcement had called ICE, and ICE issued a detainer and picked him up, Laken would be alive. Ibarra was found guilty in November 2024 and has been sentenced to life without parole.
• The law is supported by the Riley family, who were in attendance for the bills’ signing.