The father of Laken Riley addressed the Georgia State Senate on Wednesday with a call for lawmakers and Governor Brian Kemp to “declare an invasion” following his daughter’s murder.
Invited to address the legislators by State Senator Colton Moore (R-Trenton), Jason Riley called on lawmakers and the governor to recognize the severity of the illegal immigration crisis in Georgia and “protect citizens from this illegal invasion.”
“I stand before you a heartbroken man, part of my purpose has been taken,” said Jason Riley (pictured above). “God gave me a beautiful daughter to father, protect, provide for, and nurture. A man with an evil heart stole her life. He was in this country and in this state illegally.”
Police say Laken Riley was killed by Jose Ibarra, an illegal immigrant who entered the United States with his wife and her child in 2022. Despite previous encounters with police, Ibarra was allowed to remain in the country illegally.
Jason Riley told the senators, “My vision for every senator in this chamber is that you protect citizens from this illegal invasion.
He added, “Please recognize over a million illegal aliens are in this state and making families nervous. Please recognize Athens-Clarke is a sanctuary city, and this policy, and the lack of action, led to the murder of my daughter.”
Laken Riley's father speaks at the Georgia state senate:
"Governor Kemp, please declare an invasion to detain and deport criminal illegals!" pic.twitter.com/cppJ5VCqv5
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) March 21, 2024
Both Athens-Clarke Mayor Kelly Girtz and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department (CCSD) released documents claiming it is not a sanctuary city, but the sheriff’s department policy reveals that illegal immigrants will only be detained for a brief period if their federal immigration detainer is accompanied by allegations of a serious crime.
Girtz ultimately faced calls for his resignation during a contentious press conference.
After noting the sanctuary city policies that preceded the killing of Laken Riley, the father called for Kemp to take steps to protect Georgians from illegal immigrant crime.
“Governor Kemp, please declare an invasion to detain and deport criminal illegals so we can prevent future families from those tragedies,” said Jason Riley, before also urging the governor to act to protect the “hundreds of women and children each month that are being smuggled, coerced, and trafficked in our state. They are victims just like Laken.”
Following the murder of Laken Riley, a number of Georgia lawmakers have introduced or hinted at new legislation cracking down on local law enforcement and cities that shield illegal immigrants.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
