Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) is introducing the “Laken Riley Act” named after 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley who was murdered in Athens, Georgia, last month, allegedly by an illegal alien who had criminal charges against him in two states.
On Feb. 22, Riley was found murdered in a wooded area on the University of Georgia campus after she had gone for a morning run. The following day, 26-year-old illegal alien Jose Antonio Ibarra from Venezuela was arrested and charged with her murder.
Only months prior, Ibarra was issued a citation for shoplifting in Athens and was later issued a bench warrant for failing to appear in court on those charges.
Collins, who represents the district, will introduce the Laken Riley Act to the House Rules Committee on March 5. The legislation would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to take into custody illegal aliens arrested, charged, or convicted for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.
Laken Hope Riley was a special young lady — a gifted and exemplary student, a talented athlete, and the light of her family and community.@RepMikeCollins & I led a moment of silence tonight with the entire Georgia delegation to honor her memory.
May she rest in eternal peace. pic.twitter.com/QpLLOLZrFH
— Rep. Barry Loudermilk (@RepLoudermilk) February 29, 2024
Specifically, the legislation would mandate DHS issue an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer against any illegal alien in the U.S. hit with such local charges if they are not already detained by local, state, or federal officials.
The legislation reads:
… the Biden administration should not have released Laken Riley’s alleged murderer into the United States; the Biden administration should have arrested and detained Laken Riley’s alleged murderer after he was charged with crimes in New York, New York, and Athens, Georgia; [Emphasis added]
President Biden should publicly denounce his administration’s immigration policies that resulted in the murder of Laken Riley; and President Biden should prevent another murder like that of Laken Riley by ending the catch-and-release of illegal aliens, increasing immigration enforcement, detaining and removing criminal aliens, reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy, ending his abuse of parole authority, and securing the United States borders. [Emphasis added]
Very grateful for the many elected leaders across Georgia who agree that the current sanctuary policies in Athens-Clarke County must be reversed.
Please thank them for helping us. Hopefully, many more will join in this fight. pic.twitter.com/kIc4yRSaFC
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) February 28, 2024
Ibarra first arrived at the United States-Mexico border in September 2022 and was released into the U.S. interior thanks to President Joe Biden’s parole pipeline. Lawmakers have estimated that millions of illegal aliens have been released into the U.S. interior on Biden’s watch.
Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Tom McClintock (R-CA) have asked DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to disclose a full “numerical breakdown” of every illegal alien the agency has released into the U.S. interior since February 2021. Mayorkas, though, has refused the request thus far.
In August 2023, Ibarra was arrested and charged with acting in a manner to injure a child in the sanctuary city of New York City. Before ICE agents could issue a detainer for Ibarra, he was released from jail.
Then, in October 2023, Ibarra was issued a citation for shoplifting some $200 worth of items from a Walmart in Athens. In December 2023, when Ibarra failed to appear in court for the charges, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
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