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Georgia student’s death emerges as touchstone in immigration battle

Published

2 years ago

March 2, 2024

Georgia student’s death emerges as touchstone in immigration battle

The death of a Georgia student has taken center stage in Washington’s battles over immigration, as former President Trump and his allies lean into the issue to attack President Biden and Democrats over the border.

Trump, whose signature issue is border security, has repeatedly criticized Biden’s policies over the death of 22-year-old Laken Riley.

Riley, a nursing student at Augusta University’s Athens campus, was found dead last Thursday after her roommate reported that she did not return from a run in the wooded area of the University of Georgia campus. A 26-year-old Venezuelan citizen named Jose Ibarra was arrested in connection to her death and charged with murder.

U.S. Customs and Border Enforcement has said Ibarra entered the country illegally in September 2022 near El Paso, Texas, from Mexico and was released for further processing after being detained.

“We have a new category of migrant crime, and it’s going to be more severe than violent crime and crime as we know it,” Trump said during his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week.

Democrats have criticized Republicans for linking Riley’s death to Biden’s handling of the border, arguing that the issues of immigration and crime should not be conflated.

A series of Cato Institute papers have found that immigrants – including undocumented immigrants – commit murders at a lower rate than native-born Americans.

Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) said a “sense of outrage” is normal following violent crime, but it shouldn’t change broader policy.

“I think the important thing to focus on is any one instance shouldn’t shape our overall immigration policy, which has so many different facets, including economic choices about what workers to allow and how to create prosperity in America,” she said during an interview on CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront” on Monday.

The White House and Democrats also have been blistering in criticizing Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other Republicans for rejecting a bipartisan Senate bill aimed at tightening border security.

Republicans opposed to that compromise argued it didn’t go far enough, but the White House is leaning into the argument that Trump and the GOP, by politicizing the border bill, have actually prevented the government from taking steps to tighten security at the border.

Trump and Republicans see a political advantage in highlighting Riley’s death as emblematic of what they see as chaos at the border.

Both Trump and Biden visited spots on the border on Thursday, but the former president noted that he called Riley’s parents the day before and directly blamed Biden for Ibarra entering the country.

“I spoke to her parents yesterday. They’re incredible people that are devastated beyond belief,” he said.

Numerous GOP officials, from allies of Trump such as Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) to GOP officials who have clashed with the former president, such as Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, have linked the student’s death to immigration policies they say are too lenient.

Kemp, who had a falling out with Trump over the governor’s opposition to overturning the results of the 2020 election in the state, argued that the country has a “nightmare” with “mass migration.”

“That is inexcusable in any absence of any real effort by the Biden administration to step up and address this crisis, as they continue to ignore the calls for meaningful policy change that governors like me had made for well over two years,” he said.

The Georgia case gives Trump a dramatic story to point to, even as the investigation into exactly what happened continues.

“Any time that you can put a face, especially a child or a young person’s face, and attach it to a policy, whether it’s good or bad, it’s going to have a much more outsized impact,” said Georgia-based Republican strategist Jay Williams. “And the more personal you can make it, the more effective it becomes.”

GOP strategist Brady Smith said the incident will make for an “extremely effective” attack for Republicans.

“It’s going to be that inflection point where this is going to be the one that especially stands out, and everything else is going to harken back to Laken Riley,” he said.

Polls have shown immigration overtaking the economy as the top issue on voters’ minds. A Gallup poll released Tuesday showed it ranked as most important for the first time since 2019.

Biden is seeking to go on offense himself on the border. It’s one reason he went to the border on Thursday, and it’s reflected in the White House attacks on Johnson over the border bill.

A senior Democratic operative argued that the assertion Biden is to blame for the killing is an “absurdity.” This operative said Kemp is more responsible for the incident as the governor overseeing the people of the state.

“I didn’t know Joe Biden was a beat cop in Athens, Ga.,” the operative said. “Why is it that anytime anything happens with illegal immigrants that they have no responsibility? Why is it that they have no responsibility for crime?”

Republicans have often argued that allowing migrants to continue across the border only increases the chances of crime or potentially an attack on U.S. soil.

However, several studies have found those who enter the country illegally are not more likely to commit other crimes than U.S. citizens.

Cato analyzed Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) figures because that agency keeps track of immigration status for people arrested and convicted of crimes in the state. DPS’s figures from 2015 to 2019 consistently show a lower murder rate among undocumented immigrants.

“Few people are murderers, and illegal immigrants are statistically less likely to be murderers. Still, some illegal immigrants do commit homicide, and that statistical fact is no comfort to victims and their families. More importantly, nobody should expect the statistics to comfort individuals affected by violent crime,” wrote Alex Nowrasteh, author of the Cato papers.

Williams, the GOP strategist, said the specific details of the case further add to Republicans’ argument, given that Ibarra was previously arrested in New York City a few months ago.

ICE has said Ibarra was charged with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation, but New York officials released him before immigration officials could detain him.

Democrats have pointed to Rep. Tom Suozzi’s victory in the special election for New York’s 3rd congressional district last month as an example of how they can still win races that are tied to the issue of immigration.

Suozzi flipped a seat for Democrats this month following a successful campaign in which he made his position on immigration clear and challenged his Republican opponent for her opposition to the bipartisan Senate border bill that Trump also opposed.

“We need to do what Tom Suozzi did, which is to address the issue head on,” the operative said.

Brett Samuels contributed.

Related Topics:Featured Georgia immigration Laken Riley

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Bill Clinton to testify before House committee investigating Epstein links

Published

3 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Bill Clinton to testify before House committee investigating Epstein links

Former president Bill Clinton is scheduled to give deposition Friday to a congressional committee investigating his links to Jeffrey Epstein, one day after Hillary Clinton testified before the committee and called the proceedings “partisan political theatre” and “an insult to the American people”.

During remarks before the House oversight committee, Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state, insisted on Thursday that she had never met Epstein.

The former Democratic president, however, flew on Epstein’s private jet several times in the early 2000s but said he never visited his island.

Clinton, who engaged in an extramarital affair while president and has been accused of sexual misconduct by three women, also appears in a photo from the recently released files, in a hot tub with Epstein and a woman whose identity is redacted.

Clinton has denied the sexual misconduct claims and was not charged with any crimes. He also has not been accused of any wrongdoing connected to Epstein.

Epstein visited the White House at least 17 times during the early years of Clinton’s presidency, according to White House visitor records cited in news reports. Clinton said he cut ties with him around 2005, before the disgraced financier, who died from suicide in 2019, pleaded guilty to solicitation of a minor in Florida.

The House committee subpoenaed the Clintons in August. They initially refused to testify but agreed after Republicans threatened to hold them in contempt.

The Clintons asked for their depositions to be held publicly, with the former president stating that to do so behind closed doors would amount to a “kangaroo court”.

“Let’s stop the games + do this the right way: in a public hearing,” Clinton said on X earlier this month.

The committee’s chair, James Comer, did not grant their request, and the proceedings will be conducted behind closed doors with video to be released later.

On Thursday, Hillary Clinton’s proceedings were briefly halted after representative Lauren Boebert leaked an image of Clinton testifying.

During the full day deposition, Clinton said she had no information about Epstein and did not recall ever meeting him.

Before the deposition, Comer said it would be a long interview and that one with Bill Clinton would be “even longer”.

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Read Judge Schiltz’s Order

Published

13 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

CASE 0:26-cv-00107-PJS-DLM

Doc. 12-1 Filed 02/26/26

Page 5 of 17

and to file a status update by 11:00 am on January 20. ECF No. 5. Respondents never provided a bond hearing and did not release Petitioner until January 21, ECF Nos. 10, 12, after failing to file an update, ECF No. 9. Further, Respondents released Petitioner subject to conditions despite the Court’s release order not providing for conditions. ECF Nos. 5, 12–13.

Abdi W. v. Trump, et al., Case No. 26-CV-00208 (KMM/SGE)

On January 21, 2026, the Court ordered Respondents, within 3 days, to either (a) complete Petitioner’s inspection and examination and file a notice confirming completion, or (b) release Petitioner immediately in Minnesota and confirm the date, time, and location of release. ECF No. 7. No notice was ever filed. The Court emailed counsel on January 27, 2026, at 10:39 am. No response was provided.

Adriana M.Y.M. v. David Easterwood, et al., Case No. 26-CV-213 (JWB/JFD)

On January 24, 2026, the Court ordered immediate release in Minnesota and ordered Respondents to confirm the time, date, and location of release, or anticipated release, within 48 hours. ECF No. 12. Respondent was not released until January 30, and Respondents never disclosed the time of release, instead describing it as “early this morning.” ECF No. 16.

Estefany J.S. v. Bondi, Case No. 26-CV-216 (JWB/SGE)

On January 13, 2026, at 10:59 am, the Court ordered Respondents to file a letter by 4:00 pm confirming Petitioner’s current location. ECF No. 8. After receiving no response, the Court ordered Respondents, at 5:11 pm, to immediately confirm Petitioner’s location and, by noon on January 14, file a memorandum explaining their failure to comply with the initial order. ECF No. 9. Respondents did not file the memorandum, requiring the Court to issue another order. ECF No. 12. On January 15, the Court ordered immediate release in Minnesota and required Respondents to confirm the time, date, and location of release within 48 hours. ECF No. 18. On January 20, having received no confirmation, the Court ordered Respondents to comply immediately. ECF No. 21. Respondents informed the Court that Petitioner was released in Minnesota on January 17, but did not specify the time. ECF No. 22.

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Chicagoans pay respects to Jesse Jackson as cross-country memorial services begin

Published

16 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Chicagoans pay respects to Jesse Jackson as cross-country memorial services begin

James Hickman holds a photo montage of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson before a public visitation at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.

Nam Y. Huh/AP

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Nam Y. Huh/AP

CHICAGO — A line of mourners streamed through a Chicago auditorium Thursday to pay final respects to the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. as cross-country memorial services began in the city the late civil rights leader called home.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson died Tuesday at the age of 84.

The protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate will lie in repose for two days at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition before events in Washington, D.C., and South Carolina, where he was born.

Family members wiped away tears as the casket was brought into the stately brick building. Flowers lined the sidewalks where people waiting to enter watched a large screen playing video excerpts of Jackson’s notable speeches. Some raised their fists in solidarity.

The casket with the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrives before a public visitation at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.

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Inside, Jackson’s children, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Rev. Al Sharpton were among those who stood by the open casket to shake hands and hug those coming to view the body of Jackson, dressed in a suit and blue shirt and tie.

“The challenge for us is that we’ve got to make sure that all he lived for was not in vain,” Sharpton told reporters. “Dr. King’s dream and Jesse Jackson’s mission now falls on our shoulders. We’ve got to stand up and keep it going.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton speaks as Jesse Jackson Jr. listens after the public visitation for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.

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Jackson died last week at age 84 after battling a rare neurological disorder that affected his mobility and ability to speak in his later years.

Remembrances have already poured in from around the globe, and several U.S. states, including Minnesota, Iowa and North Carolina, are flying flags at half-staff in his honor.

But perhaps nowhere has his death been felt as strongly as in the nation’s third-largest city, where Jackson lived for decades and raised his six children, including a son who is a congressman.

Bouquets have been left outside the family’s Tudor-style home on the city’s South Side for days. Public schools have offered condolences, and city trains have used digital screens to display Jackson’s portrait and his well-known mantra, “I am Somebody!”

People wait to enter the security checkpoint for the public visitation for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.

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His causes, both in the United States and abroad, were countless: Advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues including voting rights, job opportunities, education and health care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders, and through his Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society.

Family members stand in front of a portrait of the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

How the Rev. Jesse Jackson transformed American politics

“We honor him, and his hard-earned legacy as a freedom fighter, philosopher, and faithful shepherd of his family and community here in Chicago,” the mayor said in a statement.

Next week, Jackson will lie in honor at the South Carolina Statehouse, followed by public services. According to Rainbow PUSH’s agenda, Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to deliver remarks; however, the governor’s office said Thursday that his participation wasn’t yet confirmed. Jackson spent his childhood and started his activism in South Carolina.

Details on services in Washington have not yet been made public. However, he will not lie in honor at the United States Capitol rotunda after a request for the commemoration was denied by the House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office.

The two weeks of events will wrap up next week with a large celebration of life gathering at a Chicago megachurch and finally, homegoing services at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Family members said the services will be open to all.

“Our family is overwhelmed and overjoyed by the amazing amount of support being offered by common, ordinary people who our father’s life has come into contact with,” his eldest son, Jesse Jackson Jr., said before the services began. “This is a unique opportunity to lay down some of the political rhetoric and to lay down some of the division that deeply divides our country and to reflect upon a man who brought people together.”

The family of the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrives as Yusep Jackson wipes his eyes before public visitation at Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago on Thursday.

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The services included prayers from some of the city’s most well-known religious leaders, including Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich. Mourners of all ages — from toddlers in strollers to elderly people in wheelchairs — came to pay respects.

Video clips of his appearances at news conferences, the campaign trail and even “Sesame Street” also played inside the auditorium.

Claudette Redic, a retiree who lives in Chicago, said her family has respected Jackson, from backing his presidential ambitions to her son getting a scholarship from a program Jackson championed.

“We have generations of support,” she said. “I’m hoping we continue.”