Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Sunday criticized the Biden administration over the death of Augusta University student Laken Riley, which was attributed to an illegal immigrant.
Kemp told the host of “Fox & Friends Sunday” that President Joe Biden had asked him about the killing of Riley, who was found missing near a lake on the University of Georgia (UGA) campus. He said he has not heard back yet. Jose Antonio Ybarra, the suspect who killed the 22-year-old nursing student, entered the United States illegally in 2022, according to a statement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Daily Caller.
“I, along with many others, [have] making [a point] Every state is now a border state. So we're just too frustrated,” Kemp said. “If you look at Greg Abbott's record. He has to secure his own internal state borders. I mean, Democrats are mad at him for doing that, but you know… He had the last straw. [and] That's what Texans do. ”
Kemp said he, like many Republican governors, has visited the southern border and noted that he and other governors have been “raising this issue” with the president “for over two years.”
“You know, right now we have 7.5, 8.5, millions of people coming into this country,” Kemp said. “And people like these two came to this country and committed crimes and no one was told about it. And why weren't they sent back? Why aren't they U.S. citizens?” Are we going to allow people to come here and break the law and then not repatriate them? It's very frustrating.”
“This is a federal issue. This is an issue where the president can take action,” he added. “And I know he's trying to blame Congress for inaction. It's about shifting the blame and the Republican governors who were at the border just a few weeks ago are ready to support him. So we know there's something he can do. We're ready to deploy our National Guard personnel and protect our borders and make sure this never happens again.”
Ybarra, who has a significant criminal history, was arrested Friday, shortly after Riley's body was discovered. The suspect lived in Athens, Georgia, after crossing the southern border into El Paso, Texas. News Nation reported that Ibarra had previously been released from authorities' custody due to lack of detention space. (Related article: A woman who hosts illegal immigrants in her home says the experience is like hiring a “personal chef.”)
Asked if the suspect might be deported, Kemp told Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy: “This person is not going anywhere, that's for sure.” “He is incarcerated now. There is no bail and he will stand trial here in our state.”
