The tragic death of an Augusta University student in Georgia last week has become part of the increasingly divisive debate around illegal immigration rates in the U.S.
A Tragic Incident
Last week, a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student named Laken Riley was found dead after leaving her home to go jogging near Lake Herrick in Athens, Georgia, near the University of Georgia campus.
Center of Debate
Since then, her death has taken center stage in the ongoing national debate over immigration after a 26-year-old Venezuelan man named Jose Ibarra was arrested as a murder suspect.
Multiple Charges
He has now been charged with murder, assault, battery, and concealment of death, among other charges, according to court documents.
Campus Security Tightens
Riley’s murder has sent shockwaves through the campus and the wider Athens community, with the UGA ramping up campus security in the wake of the death.
New Safety Measures
On Tuesday, the UGA released an official statement with news of a $7.5 million budget going toward new campus safety measures.
But it is the identity of her alleged killer that has brought the incident to national attention.
Illegal Immigrant Accused
Ibarra, an illegal immigrant who entered the U.S. in 2022, was released into the community pending his immigration hearing.
Second Incident
Critics have also pointed out that this incident was not Ibarra’s first run-in with U.S. authorities since entering the country.
Child Endangerment and License Violation
In August 2023, he was also charged with a vehicle license violation and child endangerment by New York Police. He was released before he could be detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
A Common and Criticized Practise
The practice of allowing illegal immigrants to live in the U.S. while they wait for court proceedings is common throughout the country.
Criticism of the practice has ramped up in the last few years as the U.S. has experienced staggering rates of migration via the southern border.
4 Million in Two Years
According to government data, the U.S. has seen more than 4 million illegal border crossings via the U.S.-Mexico border in the last two years, with 2.21 million passing through in 2022 and 2.05 million in 2023.
Biden Under Fire
The Biden government has come under fire for its border immigration policies, as tens of thousands of undocumented people take refuge in sanctuary cities throughout the U.S., adding unprecedented strain to housing, healthcare, and other state resources.
Migrant Crime Rates
But migrant crime rates, particularly violent crimes, have also become a topic of fierce debate, and the slaying of Laken Riley by Iberra has become fodder for politicians and anti-immigration advocates.
Republican Reps Speak Out
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and other Republican officials have accused Biden and his “failed policies” of encouraging violent crime in the U.S. through the federal immigration system, which resulted in Iberra’s release into the community.
“They Know Exactly What Happened”
“The American people know exactly what happened,” Kemp declared in a recent appearance on Fox News.
“This president … did not (secure the border). … Now we have a dead young woman because of it.”
Raucous Press Conference
However, Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz tried to address the rising political outrage surrounding Riley’s death during a press conference on Wednesday concerning community safety.
A Warning to the Community
Girtz urged community members to avoid “conflating immigration and crime,” which could not be supported by data, and reminded the crowd that “responsibility for this crime rests solely on the perpetrator.”
No Sanctuary City
He also denied the idea that Athens had accepted sanctuary city status, saying that “no policies have been adopted by the mayor’s commission that have created sanctuary city status in Athens.”
Athens Citizens Protest
Protestors disagreed, calling for the mayor’s resignation. One told Girtz, “You allowed this to happen. You voted for this,” while another said, “You are guilty and have got blood on your hands for this murder, sir.”
Time for the Government to Step In
While he denied the connection between crime and immigration, Girtz did point to Congress’ inability to reach an agreement on the immigration issue and urged the government to “act now and demonstrate a willingness to continue to work on complementary legislation in the future.”
No Mention in Biden’s Latest Speech
While the White House has expressed condolences to Riley’s family through an official statement, President Biden has been criticized for failing to mention the incident in a speech he gave on Wednesday, which concerned the decreasing rates of violent crime in the U.S.
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The post Georgia College Student’s Tragic Death Fuels Immigration Debate first appeared on From Frugal to Free.
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