Senate Republicans are taking action against illegal immigration as the fallout from Laken Riley’s death maintains a prominent place in American political discourse. Lawmakers have introduced measures that would target sanctuary cities and hold them accountable if their policies result in harm to American citizens.

The proposed laws would tighten the reins on cities and states that instruct law enforcement not to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The measures underscore the growing tension between the two sides of the immigration debate.

The first bill, introduced by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), would allow people to sue their state and local governments if they are harmed by illegal immigrants. The other would allow the Department of Homeland Security to issue detainer requests for illegals.

North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis will introduce two bills Tuesday aimed at holding sanctuary cities accountable for what he calls lax policies toward illegal immigration and refusal to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The first bill, titled the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act, would create a private right for victims of rape or other felonies and their family members to sue states and districts if they refuse to honor detainer requests from the Department of Homeland Security. In order to qualify for federal grants, local governments and states would have to give up their immunity against this legal action.

The second measure, known as the Immigration Detainer Enforcement Act, would give the DHS secretary, rather than the attorney general, the authority to issue detainer requests for illegal immigrants. It would further remove language dictating that an illegal immigrant must be considered at risk of escaping before a warrant can be issued in order for a detainer to be sought. The bill would also allow DHS to compensate local and state jurisdictions for claims against them due to their enforcement of ICE detainers.

Tillis touted the bill, arguing that “For too long, we have watched local jurisdictions in North Carolina and across the country ignore the lawful notification and detainer requests made by ICE agents.”

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has introduced a related measure seeking to prohibit sanctuary cities from receiving federal housing grants.

The legislation, named the "No Community Development Block Grants for Sanctuary Cities Act," would amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to prevent sanctuary jurisdictions from becoming grantees for Community Development Block Grants.

Vance is introducing the legislation in the wake of a slew of high-profile crimes involving alleged illegal immigrants, including the murder of Augusta University nursing student Laken Riley, who was killed while jogging near the University of Georgia last month.

"Our government sends hundreds of millions in federal housing grants to sanctuary cities each year. Those funds are now on the chopping block," Vance said in a statement to FOX Business. "With this legislation, the local officials who undermine America’s border security can say goodbye to these federal housing grants."

Riley’s brutal murder at the hands of an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, along with the ongoing border crisis, is the catalyst for these proposals. The individual accused of murdering the nursing student is currently being detained without bond and is facing multiple charges related to the crime.

These proposals are not only intended to target sanctuary cities but also to apply pressure on the Biden administration, which has struggled with addressing the situation at the southern border. It is not likely that the Democrat-dominated Senate would actually pass these measures, given that they have also been reticent to take significant action to deal with the problem. Nevertheless, Riley’s death, along with the other effects of the crisis, is putting Biden and his fellow Democrats in a tough position.