Laken Riley’s father called on the Georgia state government to “declare an unlawful invasion” after the 22-year-old nursing student was allegedly killed by a migrant last month.
Jason Riley’s speech before the Georgia State Senate comes as Laken’s death while jogging on Feb. 22 continues to make headlines after the fact.
“I stand before you, a broken-hearted man,” Jason Riley said Wednesday afternoon.
“Part of my goal has been achieved. God gave me a beautiful daughter for a father, to protect her, provide for her, and raise her. A man with an evil heart stole his life. He was in this country and this state illegally,” he added.
Venezuelan Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, was arrested and charged with murder, false imprisonment and kidnapping, almost two years after illegally entering the United States from Venezuela, where his brother is believed to be a member of the Tren de Aragua gang . .
Laken Riley’s father called on the Georgia state government to “declare an unlawful invasion” after the 22-year-old nursing student was allegedly killed by a migrant last month.
“My vision for every senator in this chamber is that you protect citizens from this illegal invasion,” Riley continued.
He spoke of the fact that “there are a million illegal aliens” in Georgia, which “makes families nervous,” and cited the Georgian capital, Athens, where he was speaking about enforcing a safe haven policy. .
“Please recognize Athens-Clarke as a sanctuary city, and this policy and lack of action led to the murder of my daughter,” he said.
“A few of you in this room are standing up and working on this solution to keep us safe. For this, my family is grateful.
He then turned to Georgia’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp, asking him to enact a statewide policy to prevent what happened to his daughter from happening to anyone else.
“Governor Kemp, please declare an invasion to detain and deport illegal criminals so we can prevent future families from experiencing these tragedies,” Riley said.
“Every month, hundreds of women and children…are smuggled, coerced and trafficked into our state. They are victims, just like Laken. I thank you for honoring Laken in this way and I humbly ask that you do more to protect us. She and my family mean everything to me.
Ibarra entered the United States illegally in 2022 near El Paso, Texas, immigration officials confirmed.
Riley’s speech before the Georgia State Senate comes as Laken’s death while jogging on Feb. 22 continues to make headlines after the fact.
Venezuelan Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, was arrested and charged with murder, false imprisonment and kidnapping, almost two years after illegally entering the United States from Venezuela, where his brother is believed to be a member of the Tren de Aragua gang .
“I stand before you, a broken-hearted man,” Jason Riley said Wednesday afternoon.
He allegedly killed Riley during a race near his university’s intramural fields the morning of his disappearance, before being found in nearby woods with visible injuries.
Ibarra was named a suspect the next day, after investigators analyzed previously unpublished surveillance footage from the university campus.
The Venezuelan citizen remains incarcerated in the Clarke County Jail on charges including malicious murder, aggravated battery and aggravated assault, as well as felony kidnapping and concealing the death of another.
The killing has become a political flashpoint in an already heated debate over immigration, which is a priority for many voters ahead of November’s presidential election.
Earlier this month, Joe Biden said her name — albeit incorrectly — in what seemed like an impromptu moment during his State of the Union address. GOP front-runner Donald Trump met with the girl’s mother and stepfather, and blamed Biden’s border policies for her death.
As a result, some have accused Republicans of using Riley’s death to advance their political agenda – a dynamic Jason Riley criticized Monday.
Making it clear he supports the GOP front-runner as a candidate, he said he would prefer politicians like him and that Marjorie Taylor Greene would refrain from using her daughter’s death as a political tool.
“I prefer that (my daughter’s death) not be so political, like you say — it started a storm in our country,” Jason said of his daughter’s death.
Laken’s killing has become a political flashpoint in an already heated debate over immigration, which is a priority for many voters heading into November’s presidential election.
Riley turned to Georgia’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp (pictured), to ask him to enact a statewide policy to prevent what happened to his daughter from happening to anyone ‘another.
Some have accused Republicans of using Riley’s death to advance their political agenda – a dynamic Jason Riley criticized Monday
“It incited a lot of people,” he said, before asserting: “There are people on both sides who attacked our families.”
Turning to political demands, he proclaimed: “I think (his death) is being used politically to get these votes. »
“Laken has been a rallying cry for border security and for the current administration’s illegal immigration policies,” the grieving father continued, before denying: “but there are many women we don’t ‘let’s not hear about it’.
The remarks referred to several politicians’ use of his daughters’ first names during rallies and campaign speeches in recent weeks, in what is expected to be a hotly contested election year.
A bill honoring Laken — eponymously named the Laken Riley Act — passed the GOP-led House.
If signed, it would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain undocumented immigrants for theft-related crimes, after the suspect and his brother were arrested and released months before the killing after having been found in possession of stolen merchandise at a local Walmart.