<a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=Revision:%20Laws/Laken Riley Act%20-%2020260302211311" style="border:1px solid #555; padding:4px 12px; border-radius:4px; color:#a89ee8; text-decoration:none; font-size:0.9em; background-color:#2a2a2a;">📩 Submit a Revision/Addition</a> Yes, the Laken Riley Act mandates the detention of certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens) who have been charged with specific offenses, even if they have not been convicted. According to the text of the law, the Department of Homeland Security is required to detain individuals who are unlawfully present in the United States and have been "charged with, arrested for, convicted of, [or who] admit to having committed" acts such as burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, or assaulting a law enforcement officer. This means that under the Laken Riley Act, being merely accused or charged with these offenses is sufficient grounds for mandatory detention by immigration authorities. The 5th Amendment states: > "No person shall be... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." The key word here is "person," not "citizen." Courts have consistently ruled that this applies to all people in the U.S., including non-citizens, regardless of legal status. Similarly, the 14th Amendment says: > "Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Again, it uses "any person" rather than "citizen," meaning it applies to everyone within U.S. jurisdiction, including undocumented immigrants. Court Cases Confirming This Interpretation: Yick Wo v. Hopkins (1886): The Supreme Court ruled that constitutional protections apply to all persons, not just citizens. Zadvydas v. Davis (2001): The Court reaffirmed that non-citizens, even those facing deportation, have due process rights. Plyler v. Doe (1982): The Court struck down a Texas law that denied public education to undocumented children, citing equal protection under the 14th Amendment. So, while citizenship does grant additional rights (e.g., voting), fundamental protections like due process apply to all people inside U.S. borders.