Biden White House Breaks Silence as to Laken Riley Murder on UGA Campus

On Monday, the White House issued a statement on the murder of Laken Riley, an Augusta University nursing student, who was killed on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, allegedly by an illegal immigrant. 

“We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Laken Hope Riley,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News. “People should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law if they are found to be guilty. Given this is an active case, we would have to refer you to state law enforcement and ICE.”

On Feb. 23, UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark announced the arrest of Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela, who is accused of murdering Riley on the university’s campus while she was out for a jog on Thursday morning. Riley was found to have died of blunt force trauma.

Before the White House’s statement, President Biden said that the country’s laws and resources “haven’t kept up with our immigration system.”

“It’s broken, and our politics has failed to fix it,” the president said. “To my Republican friends on the hill: Doing nothing is not an option. Compromise is part of the process.”

In September 2022, Ibarra illegally crossed the U.S. Mexico border in El Paso, Texas. He then traveled to New York City, where he temporarily lived with his wife, before moving to Athens, where he lived for about six months, on the southern border of UGA’s campus.

While living in New York, Ibarra was arrested on Sept. 14, 2023, and “charged with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation,” according to ICE, who confirmed that he had encountered Customs and Border Patrol at the border on Sept. 8, 2022. 

In most circumstances, ICE would have requested that the NYPD keep him in custody, referred to as a detainer, and deported following his arrest in Sept. 2023. However, he was released from NYPD custody before a detainer could be issued. Additionally, NYC’s “sanctuary city” status generally restricts law enforcement from complying with ICE detainers.

He is now facing charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another.

Riley’s family posted a statement on Saturday, describing the 22-year-old as “an amazing daughter, sister, friend and overall person.”

“Her love for the Lord was exemplified in every aspect of her life. She will be missed every day, but we promise to honor her life moving forward in a very big way,” the statement shared with WXIA read, in part. “During this most difficult time, we ask that you respect our privacy, and provide us the time and space necessary to grieve our daughter’s life that was tragically cut short.”

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