The murder of Laken Riley on the campus of the University of Georgia last month has put Joe Biden’s border crisis further in the crosshairs. The suspect in Riley’s murder, José Ibarra, was in the country illegally, and he and his brother Diego had committed multiple crimes in Georgia and New York.
The crimes that the Ibarra brothers committed weren’t serious enough in the eyes of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain them. If ICE could have detained José Ibarra after Athens-Clarke County police cited him and his brother for shoplifting last fall, Laken Riley would still be alive.
One member of Congress wants to change that going forward. Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.), whose district includes Athens-Clarke County has introduced legislation that would mandate that ICE detain illegal immigrants who commit certain property crimes. (Full disclosure: Collins is my representative.)
H.R. 7511, the Laken Riley Act, would “require the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody aliens who have been charged in the United States with theft, and for other purposes.” Collins introduced the bill on March 1, and he hopes the House will vote on it as soon as this week.
“Laken Riley's tragic murder at the hands of an illegal alien was another wakeup call,” Collins wrote in an email to constituents on Tuesday. “Americans are experiencing a crime wave because of Joe Biden’s open border and local sanctuary policies that shield foreign criminals from accountability and deportation.”
Related: The Far Left Versus Everybody Else: A Tale of Reactions to the Murder of Laken Riley
“That's why I introduced the Laken Riley Act, which the U.S. House will vote on this week ahead of President Biden's State of the Union address,” the congressman continued. “As the president attempts to defend his atrocious record, the House will act to rectify the key failures that led to Laken's murder.”
The legislation states that “The Secretary of Homeland Security shall issue a detainer for an alien” who “is charged with, is arrested for, is convicted of, admits having committed, or admits committing acts which constitute the essential elements of any burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting offense.” It also provides state attorneys general with the opportunity to sue the Secretary of Homeland Security if he or she fails to detain the illegal immigrant and the immigrant commits further crimes in the state.
Collins and Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) led most of the Georgia congressional delegation in paying tribute to Riley on the House floor.
Donald Trump spoke with Riley’s parents, while the Biden administration continually downplays the circumstances that led to the coed’s murder. Athens-Clarke County has borne nearly as much responsibility as the federal government.
Mayor Kelly Girtz has repeatedly tried to deflect the blame away from local officials. Deborah Gonzalez, Athens-Clarke County’s far-left district attorney, has announced that she won’t seek the death penalty for Ibarra.
We’ve also learned that Athens-Clarke County Sheriff John Williams campaigned in 2020 on refusing to cooperate with “detainers," saying that he opposed “antagonizing people because they are undocumented.” He added that enforcing immigration laws is equivalent to “contributing to [a] culture of fear."
Thankfully, somebody is taking Riley’s murder seriously. Here’s hoping this legislation will pass the House. Read the bill here:
H.R. 7511 by PJ Media on Scribd
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