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Slaying of Georgia student becomes part of U.S. immigration debate
By Maria Sacchetti and Nick Miroff
February 26, 2024 at 7:46 p.m. EST
People gather to mourn the loss of Laken Hope Riley during a vigil at Tate Plaza at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga., on Monday. Riley was a nursing student at Augusta University, and was found dead Thursday on UGA's campus. (Joshua L. Jones/AP)
The killing of a Georgia nursing student allegedly by a Venezuelan migrant has quickly intensified the country’s immigration debate as President Biden and leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump prepare trips to the border this week.
The body of 22-year-old Laken Hope Riley was found in the woods near a jogging trail Thursday on the University of Georgia campus, and her death is one of several cases in recent years that Republican politicians have highlighted to depict migrants as dangerous.
On average, immigrants commit fewer crimes than native-born U.S. citizens, data show, but Republican leaders have been galvanized by record numbers of illegal border crossings since Biden took office in 2021.
“It’s just outrageous,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, told Fox News on Monday. “People are so frustrated. And this is something that we’ve been talking about for years now, about the porous southern border.”
{snip}
Scott Clement contributed to this report.
By Maria Sacchetti
Maria Sacchetti covers immigration for the Washington Post, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the court system. She previously reported for the Boston Globe, where her work led to the release of several immigrants from jail. She lived for several years in Latin America and is fluent in Spanish. Twitter https://twitter.com/mariasacchetti
By Nick Miroff
Nick Miroff covers the Department of Homeland Security for The Washington Post, with a focus on immigration enforcement and the southern border. He was a Post foreign correspondent in Latin America from 2010 to 2017, and has been a staff writer since 2006. Twitter https://twitter.com/NickMiroff
By Maria Sacchetti and Nick Miroff
February 26, 2024 at 7:46 p.m. EST
People gather to mourn the loss of Laken Hope Riley during a vigil at Tate Plaza at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga., on Monday. Riley was a nursing student at Augusta University, and was found dead Thursday on UGA's campus. (Joshua L. Jones/AP)
The killing of a Georgia nursing student allegedly by a Venezuelan migrant has quickly intensified the country’s immigration debate as President Biden and leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump prepare trips to the border this week.
The body of 22-year-old Laken Hope Riley was found in the woods near a jogging trail Thursday on the University of Georgia campus, and her death is one of several cases in recent years that Republican politicians have highlighted to depict migrants as dangerous.
On average, immigrants commit fewer crimes than native-born U.S. citizens, data show, but Republican leaders have been galvanized by record numbers of illegal border crossings since Biden took office in 2021.
“It’s just outrageous,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, told Fox News on Monday. “People are so frustrated. And this is something that we’ve been talking about for years now, about the porous southern border.”
{snip}
Scott Clement contributed to this report.
By Maria Sacchetti
Maria Sacchetti covers immigration for the Washington Post, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the court system. She previously reported for the Boston Globe, where her work led to the release of several immigrants from jail. She lived for several years in Latin America and is fluent in Spanish. Twitter https://twitter.com/mariasacchetti
By Nick Miroff
Nick Miroff covers the Department of Homeland Security for The Washington Post, with a focus on immigration enforcement and the southern border. He was a Post foreign correspondent in Latin America from 2010 to 2017, and has been a staff writer since 2006. Twitter https://twitter.com/NickMiroff
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