MACON, Ga. — In Athens, Gov. Brian Kemp spoke about Laken Riley's death and border policies.
Kemp says he blames Riley's killing on failed policies on the federal level regarding immigration.
“This community, all of Georgia and the entire country have been robbed by this inexcusable and avoidable murder,” Kemp said.
Athens Police say Riley's accused murderer, 26-year-old Jose Ibarra, is not a U.S. citizen.
Jose and his brother Diego are from Venezuela.
In 2022, Jose was arrested after unlawfully entering the United States, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
On Friday, Diego was arrested and charged with holding a fraudulent green card.
The news of Riley's death impacted lawmakers on the national and state level.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff led a moment of silence in both Georgia Senate and House chambers in honor of the nursing student.
Georgia's law makers have a lot on their minds; Riley is a big part of it.
“We had several senators that went to the well and spoke this morning on that,” Sen. John F. Kennedy (R-Macon) said. “I cannot imagine the pain that the Laken Riley family is going through right now."
Kennedy asks who’s at fault?
“Some want to blame this on a failure of a system; this is a failure that is a direct result of the bad choices by our president,” he said.
Kennedy says it's all because of President Joe Biden's border policy.
“Every state in this country is having to deal as if they have a border crisis because of the illegal aliens that are being shipped around the country,” he explained.
Kennedy says immigration policy can only be fixed federally but wants to do what they can to help from a state level.
“This problem is and has been exacerbated by what we have in Georgia in the way of sanctuary cities. Athens-Clarke County is a sanctuary city,” he said.
That’s where Riley was killed. Those cities limit cooperation in enforcing federal immigration laws.
“In 2016, we actually tried to put some enforcement mechanisms around that. We're going to be revisiting that issue,” Kennedy said.
We also reached out to House Minority Leader James Beverly of Macon and Democrat who sent us a statement saying that he grieves the death of Laken Riley.
He said in part that House Republicans in Washington voted against a bipartisan senate bill that would make it harder for migrants to apply for asylum once they've entered the country illegally.
He says that makes our border quote less secure and is in stark contrast to the principles of the care and security leaders should uphold in times of tragedy. Here is his full statement:
“First and foremost, my heart goes out to Laken Riley’s family, friends, and the entire UGA community during this incredibly difficult time. The loss of Laken is a profound tragedy, and my thoughts and prayers are with all who knew and loved her.
“It is in moments like these that we are reminded of the importance of coming together, regardless of political affiliations, to address the challenges we face. Letting such a critical bipartisan border deal fall by the wayside, seemingly as a political concession to the disgraced former President, stands in stark contrast to the principles of care and security we should uphold, especially in times of tragedy.”
This Thursday, both President Biden and former President Donald Trump will visit the U.S.-Mexico border.
Biden plans to travel to Brownsville while Trump is expected to speak in Eagle Pass.