Finger Lakes Today

Senator Helming is calling for passage of legislation (S.8533) she co-sponsors that today was named “Laken’s Law” after the horrific murder of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia. The suspected murderer is a Venezuelan who entered the U.S. illegally and had previously been arrested and released in New York City. Laken’s Law would allow local law enforcement to work with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) and require law enforcement and courts to notify ICE of the arrest or conviction of non-citizens.

Senator Helming expressed her concerns regarding the illegal immigration crisis, stating, "Many of my constituents are reaching out to me to share their concerns about our nation’s border security and the illegal border crossings no longer impacting border states alone, but every state in our nation." She emphasized the need to address the issues with the current immigration system and laws, questioning, "How many murders, how many assaults on police officers will it take for elected leaders to wake up and do something?"

Regarding the allocation of funds for migrants, Senator Helming firmly stated, "I do not support increasing state spending by another $2.4 billion for housing, healthcare and legal services for New York City’s migrants. I do not support using our reserves to benefit those coming here illegally over our own taxpayers." She also highlighted the importance of protecting local control and ensuring that counties are not burdened by crises caused by government failures.

Senator Helming underscored the significance of public safety, asserting, "This is about the safety of our children, our families and all New Yorkers. I will continue to bring forward solutions and do everything I can to get state leaders to prioritize public safety."