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U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-GA, is among the Georgia leaders demanding answers and actions following the tragic murder of a 22-year-old nursing student while she was jogging on the University of Georgia campus last month. Collins introduced The Laken Riley Act – which is named after the nursing student who was killed – which would require ICE to detain illegal immigrants who are charged with local theft or burglary.

Jose Antonio Ibarra, the illegal immigrant from Venezuela charged with the brutal murder, had been arrested in New York prior to the murder, but was not detained by ICE. Reports indicate that before being charged with felony murder, Ibarra was also cited in Georgia for misdemeanor shoplifting in October 2023 along with his brother, Diego Ibarra.

“Laken Riley’s tragic murder at the hands of an illegal alien was another wakeup call,” said Collins. “Americans are experiencing a crime wave because of Joe Biden’s open border and local sanctuary policies that shield foreign criminals from accountability and deportation. That’s why I introduced the Laken Riley Act, which the U.S. House will vote on this week ahead of President Biden’s State of the Union address Thursday. As the president attempts to defend his atrocious record, the House will act to rectify the key failures that led to Laken’s murder.”

Collins said the legislation will work to prevent similar tragic incidents from occurring as a result of the open southern border. He went on to say that the Laken Riley Act would “require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue a detainer for illegal aliens who are charged or cited with local theft or burglary. More serious crimes already require ICE to issue detainers but had Athens Police reached out to ICE about Jose Ibarra when he was cited for shoplifting, and ICE issued a detainer and picked him up, Laken Riley would be alive.”

According to Collins, the bill would also allow individual states to take action against the federal government “if an immigration related action harms the state or its citizens.”

This follows demands by Gov. Brian Kemp for answers from President Joe Biden surrounding the immigration status of the arrested suspect, and a previous call for information by Kemp and 24 other governors for data and information on illegal border crossings, relocation efforts, and how asylum claims were being processed.

“Laken Riley’s tragic death struck the hearts of Georgians everywhere and has rightfully sparked national outrage,” said Kemp. “As I have said many times before every state is now a border state because of Joe Biden’s inaction, and today I am again demanding answers and information from the Biden Administration that will help us protect our citizens when the federal government will not.”