Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day for these my daughters or for their children whom they have borne?"
Genesis 31:43 ESV

Although Laban had earlier claimed that he would have gladly allowed Jacob to leave with all he possessed if he had done so openly. Here, however, he claims that Jacob's wives and children were his, hinting that Jacob was right to sneak away in the night.