close
Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., joined ‘Fox & Friends First’ to discuss the push for Senate Democrats to consider the Laken Riley Act and what she thinks the election will be centered around in November.
Join Fox News for access to this content Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge. Please enter a valid email address. By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided. Having trouble? Click here.
The Venezuelan migrant accused of murdering 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley last month “might not have been here” had the border been secured, her father said Monday.
Speaking publicly for the first time since his daughter’s death, Jason Riley was asked during an interview with NBC’s “Today” whether he thinks a stronger immigration policy would have made a difference after his daughter’s slaying ignited a debate about the current border crisis plaguing the Biden administration.
“We have no idea if that would have changed anything, but he’s here illegally,” Jason Riley said. “That he might not have been here had we had secure borders.”
Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan illegal immigrant charged with Riley’s murder, entered the United States through El Paso, Texas, in 2022 and was freed on border parole. He initially lived in New York City, where he was arrested for endangering a child prior to his move to Athens, Georgia.
LAKEN RILEY’S MOTHER SPEAKS OUT ABOUT ‘AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY’ AFTER DAUGHTER’S FUNERAL
Jose Ibarra was arrested on Feb. 23 in connection with Laken Riley’s Feb. 22 murder in Athens, Georgia. (Clarke County Sheriff’s Office)
Ibarra is charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another in connection to Riley’s murder.
Ibarra lived with his two brothers in an apartment complex near the University of Georgia campus, which is about a five-minute walk from the approximate scene, where he allegedly killed the 22-year-old. The murder suspect’s two brothers, Diego Ibarra, 29, and Argenis Ibarra, 24, had also entered the country illegally.
LAKEN RILEY MURDER: GEORGIA SHERIFF SAYS ICE DETAINER POLICY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ‘COULD BE IMPROVED’
Riley, a nursing student from Augusta University, was found dead on the UGA campus on Feb. 22, after her roommate reported to authorities that she had not returned home from her morning run.
Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, was found dead near a lake on campus on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (Allyson Phillips/Facebook)
Earlier this month, Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, slammed President Biden as “pathetic” for saying her daughter’s name incorrectly during his State of the Union speech. The president had seemed to refer to the 22-year-old as “Lincoln” rather than “Laken” in his speech.
BORDER PATROL UNION BOSS SAYS BIDEN ‘SLAPPED EVERY AMERICAN IN THE FACE’ DURING STATE OF THE UNION
“Lincoln Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. That’s right. But how many thousands of people are being killed by legals?” the president said in an off-script moment prompted by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., shouting at Biden, “Say her name!” while he was discussing the border crisis.
Her father told the outlet that he feels his daughter is “being used somewhat politically.”
CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“It makes me angry,” Jason Riley said. “She was much better than that. She should be raised up for the person that she is.”
Fox News’ Audrey Conklin and Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
New research suggests Mars could have enough water under its surface to form a global…
The Perseid meteor shower peaks late Sunday night, and given that it will be paired…
An Italian-led team of scientists say they have confirmed evidence of a sizable cave on…
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is now threatening to force a vote on a measure…
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took to social media to call out critics who say President…
Former Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, who served with President Biden in Congress for over 20…