Laken Riley’s parents won’t be at Biden’s State of the Union, will grieve loss from home: Rep. Mike Collins

The parents of Laken Riley, a college nursing student who was recently killed on the University of Georgia campus, will not attend President Biden’s State of the Union speech on Thursday, choosing instead to stay home and give the loss of their daughter, said U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga.

Collins said he invited Riley’s parents but that they chose not to attend. 

“Therefore, the seat reserved for my guest will remain vacant to honor Laken and all American victims of illegal alien crime,” he posted on social media Wednesday.

Riley, 22, was killed while jogging on trails around the college campus. Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national who was living illegally in the United States, has been charged with her murder.

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Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student, was found dead near a lake on campus at the University of Georgia on Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Allyson Phillips/Facebook)

The killing has prompted outrage and scorn against Biden over his immigration policies. 

“As Joe Biden attempts to paint a rosy picture of the crime-ridden country he has created, he will look up at an empty seat that memorializes those we’ve lost because of his open border policies,” Collins wrote.

In response to the murder, the Republican lawmaker introduced the Laken Riley Act, which would require immigration authorities to detain illegal immigrants charged with theft or burglary. Collins has said the bill would work to prevent similar tragedies as a result of open southern border policies. 

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Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student, was found dead near a lake on campus at the University of Georgia on Feb. 22. An illegal immigrant has been charged with her murder.  (Laken Riley/Facebook)

A combined rule for the consideration of a financial services bill and the Laken Riley Act was passed by a narrow 214-211 vote on Wednesday. No Democrats voted in favor. 

The legislation now moves to the next phase of voting in the House where it will be debated. 

Before being charged with felony murder, Ibarra was once arrested in New York for endangering a child, and he was cited in Georgia for misdemeanor shoplifting in October 2023 along with his brother, Diego Ibarra, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

Jose Ibarra was arrested on Feb. 23 in connection with Laken Riley’s Feb. 22 murder in Athens, Georgia. (Clarke County Sheriff’s Office)

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Under the terms of the bill, the Laken Riley Act would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue a detainer for illegal aliens charged or cited with local theft or burglary. 

It will head for a general debate in the House on Thursday.