Southwest
Lindsey Graham says DHS told him Laken Riley's alleged murderer was paroled into US illegally
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., posted to social media that the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to him that Laken Riley’s alleged murderer was paroled into the U.S. illegally because the Central Processing Center in El Paso, Texas, was capped.
Jose Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, has been charged in the murder of Riley. The 22-year-old Augusta University nursing school student was killed Feb. 22, while jogging at the University of Georgia in Athens.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed with Fox News Digital previously that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered Ibarra Sept. 8, 2022, and he was “paroled and released for further processing.”
Now, Graham has found out more about Ibarra’s release.
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“DHS just confirmed to me that the man charged with Laken Riley’s murder was paroled into the U.S. illegally, ‘due to detention capacity at the Central Processing Center in El Paso, Texas,’” Graham posted to X on Tuesday. “He wasn’t granted parole because he provided a significant benefit to the country or that he had a humanitarian need, as the law requires.”
Graham also accused the Biden administration of breaking the law at the expense of innocent Americans.
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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks with members of the media at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital seeking additional information about the claim.
ICE previously stated Ibarra had been arrested by the New York Police Department a year after being paroled, on Sept. 14, 2023, and was “charged with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation.” The agency later corrected the record saying he was arrested Aug 31, 2023.
ICE CONFIRMS GEORGIA STUDENT MURDER SUSPECT ENTERED US ILLEGALLY, WAS PREVIOUSLY ARRESTED IN NYC
University of Georgia murder suspect Jose Ibarra lived within a five-minute walk of the approximate location where he allegedly murdered 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley Feb. 22. (Mark Sims for Fox News Digital/ Laken Riley / Jose Ibarra)
Riley was found dead in February after previously attending UGA before entering a nursing program at Augusta’s Athens campus, where she made the dean’s list.
Police have charged Ibarra with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another person.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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