The father of Laken Riley, the nursing student killed while jogging last month, called on Georgia’s governor to declare an “invasion to detain and deport criminal illegals” to protect Americans.
Jason Riley made his desperate plea to Gov. Brian Kemp in a speech before the Georgia State Senate on Wednesday, after Venezuelan migrant Jose Antonio was charged with murdering his 22-year-old daughter near the University of Georgia in Athens.
Jason Riley, father of slain nursing student Laken Riley, speaks at the Senate at the Capitol in Atlanta on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. AP
Laken Riley was found dead on the Georgia campus. Facebook / Laken Riley
Jose Ibarra is accused of the murder of Laken Riley. Clarke County Sheriffs Office“I stand before you, a heartbroken man,” Jason Riley said. “Part of my purpose has been taken. 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.”
After being presented with a resolution to honor Riley, her father asked George state senators to “do more to protect us.”
“My vision for every senator in this chamber is that you protect citizens from this illegal invasion,” he said.
“Please recognize over a million illegal aliens are in this state and making families nervous.”
Laken Riley was a student at the University of Georgia. Facebook / Laken RileyHe also called on lawmakers to recognize that “Athens-Clarke is a sanctuary city and this policy and the lack of action led to the murder of my daughter.”
Ibarra, 26, who entered the US illegally through the southern border two years ago, has been charged with felony murder, aggravated assault and battery, kidnapping, and false imprisonment in Laken Riley’s slaying.
The nursing student’s murder has become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate about the migrant crisis and President Biden’s immigration policies in an election year.
Jason Riley’s impassioned remarks on the state senate floor came just days after just days after he lamented that his daughter’s death has been politicized by both sides.
“I think it’s being used politically to get those votes,” he told NBC’s “TODAY” show in an interview Monday.
“It makes me angry. I feel like, you know, they’re just using my daughter’s name for that.”
“And she was much better than that, and she should be raised up for the person that she is. She was an angel,” he added.
