Laken Riley’s death takes center stage as House GOP seeks to counter Biden’s State of the Union address
By
Cami Mondeaux
March 5, 2024 5:00 am
As President Joe Biden prepares to address lawmakers during his annual State of the Union address this week, the president is facing increasing pressure to make policy changes at the southern border.
The calls largely come in response to the death of Laken Riley, a nursing student who was killed last month on the University of Georgia campus. The suspect arrested in the case is Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan immigrant who was arrested in 2022 on charges of illegally crossing the border but was later released into the country.
At least one lawmaker is pressing the president to name Riley in his speech and acknowledge her death on Thursday.
“As Commander-in-Chief, it is your duty to protect American citizens, and this tragedy highlights the urgent need to address the surge in crime resulting from your negligence at our southern border,” Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) wrote in a letter to Biden on Monday.
“Your failure to publicly acknowledge this tragedy is unacceptable,” he added. “The safety and security of American citizens should be your top priority. I am calling on you to publicly acknowledge the Riley family’s tragedy and take swift and decisive action to secure the Border.”
The White House has not responded to a request for comment by the Washington Examiner.
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