Laken Riley's Father Calls on Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to 'Declare an Invasion'

Angel Dad Jason Riley, whose 22-year-old daughter Laken Riley was murdered, allegedly at the hands of an illegal alien, is calling on Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) to “declare an invasion” and pleading with the state’s lawmakers to “protect citizens from this illegal invasion.”

While speaking at the Georgia State Capitol on Wednesday, Jason Riley urged lawmakers to take action in cracking down on illegal immigration across the state. More than half a million illegal aliens now reside in Georgia.

“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,” Jason Riley told lawmakers. “My vision for every senator in this chamber is that you protect citizens from this illegal invasion.”

In addition, Jason Riley asked Kemp to declare an invasion so law enforcement in Georgia has clearer authority to turn illegal aliens over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

“Please recognize that over a million illegal aliens are in this state and making families nervous,” Jason Riley said:

Please recognize that Athens-Clarke is a sanctuary city and this policy and the lack of action led to the murder of my daughter … Gov. Kemp, please declare an invasion to detain and deport criminal illegals so we can prevent future families from those tragedies. [Emphasis added]

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Earlier this month, House Republicans and a few dozen Democrats passed Rep. Mike Collins’s (R-GA) “Laken Riley Act” to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to take into custody illegal aliens arrested, charged, or convicted for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.

Last week, though, Senate Democrats blocked the Laken Riley Act from being moved forward for passage in the Senate. As a result, Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) said he will introduce the legislation as an amendment to a funding bill that the chamber must pass.

“We simply don’t believe that another American family needs to experience the tragedy like the one that befell the Riley family,” Budd said. “And that’s why we need to pass the Laken Riley Act today.”

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On Feb. 22, nursing student Laken Riley was found murdered in a wooded area on the University of Georgia campus after she had gone for a morning run. The following day, Ibarra, from Venezuela, was arrested and charged with her murder.

Months before Riley’s murder, Ibarra was issued a citation for shoplifting in Athens and was later issued a bench warrant for failing to appear in court on those charges. Despite the charge, Ibarra was not turned over to ICE agents for deportation.

In August 2023, Ibarra was arrested and charged with acting in a manner to injure a child in the sanctuary city of New York City. Before ICE agents could issue a detainer for Ibarra, he was released from jail.

Then, in October 2023, Ibarra was issued a citation for shoplifting some $200 worth of items from a Walmart in Athens. In December 2023, when Ibarra failed to appear in court for the charges, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.

Ibarra remains in Clarke County Jail without bail.

Migrants break barriers and rush border patrol in El Paso https://t.co/PzaEFEHDEc pic.twitter.com/8bDgLvV4hO

— New York Post (@nypost) March 21, 2024