The father of slain Georgia nursing student Laken Riley is speaking out about her death, saying he feels like "she's being used" by politicians amid the partisan fight to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
Laken, 22, was out for a run on the University of Georgia campus last month when she was beaten to death, allegedly by an illegal alien from Venezuela.
NBC reporter Priscilla Thompson asked Jason Riley if "a difference in immigration policy would have made a difference" for his daughter.
"We have no idea if that would've changed anything," Riley said. "But, he's here illegally — he might not have been here had we had secure borders."
Laken Riley's name has become a rallying cry for conservative politicians such as former President Donald Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., as they push for increased security at the southern border.
Passed in the House on the same day as President Joe Biden's State of the Union address — during which he famously flubbed her name – the "Laken Riley Act" would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants who commit "theft-related crimes," such as shoplifting.
In October, the suspect in Laken's murder, Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, and his brother were issued citations for shoplifting from a Walmart in Athens, Georgia.
The bill has not yet cleared the Senate.
While he supports Trump, Jason Riley told NBC he feels overwhelmed by how politicized Laken's death has become, saying he would prefer his daughter's death "not be so political."
"I think it's being used politically to get those votes," he said. "It makes me angry. I feel like, you know, they're just using my daughter's name for that. And she was much better than that, and she should be raised up for the person that she is. She was an angel."
Citing court documents, Mediaite reported that Ibarra has requested a jury trial, which could make for a drawn out court case.
Thompson said Jason Riley is "heartbroken for his family, but also for the family of the suspect, whose lives have been forever changed."
The NBC reporter said Laken's father told her that he would want to give Ibarra's mother a hug if he ran into her in court "because that's what his daughter would've wanted."
Nicole Wells ✉
Nicole Wells, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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