U.S. Border Patrol released the illegal migrant charged with killing Laken Riley one day after apprehending him, and despite multiple encounters with law enforcement after his arrival in the United States, Immigration and Customs Enforcement allowed the man to roam free, according to a congressional report.
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement released an interim 8-page report Friday, asserting that Riley’s death in February is a result of the border policies under the Biden-Harris administration.
The Christian Post reached out to DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for comment on the report. Responses are pending.
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Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student whose body was discovered on the University of Georgia campus. The man arrested for the 22-year-old woman’s murder, Jose Antonio Ibarra, entered the country illegally through El Paso, Texas, on Sept. 8, 2022.
According to the report, Ibarra was released into the U.S. one day after his apprehension because border patrol determined the migrant’s release was warranted due to “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.” Ibarra reportedly lived “safely” in Ecuador from January 2017 through July 2022 before traveling to the U.S.
While the U.S. Department of Homeland Security cited the Central Processing Center’s detention capacity as the reason for Ibarra’s release, the judiciary committee highlighted the agency’s data showing it could have detained Ibarra.
“As a result of his release, Ibarra was free to commit crimes in the United States, including allegedly kidnapping and murdering Laken Riley in Georgia,” the committee and its subcommittee claimed in the document.
Ibarra and his brother, Diego, had also previously been charged with shoplifting from a Walmart. An immigration attorney told Fox 5 in February the brothers were cited and released on the scene because shoplifting is considered a misdemeanor.
In September 2023, The New York City Police Department arrested Ibarra for “acting in a manner to injure a child,” which ICE later entered into its enforcement system, according to the House Judiciary report. On Feb. 26, four days after Ibarra allegedly killed Riley, the migrant’s previous application for asylum remained pending.
Despite encounters with law enforcement prior to Riley’s murder, the report noted that ICE never filed a detainer against Ibarra until after the killing.
“The information obtained by the Committee shows in stark terms the real-world consequences of the Biden-Harris Administration’s failure to secure the border and enforce immigration law,” the report stated. “Taken as a whole, the Committee’s investigation into the criminal illegal aliens the Biden-Harris Administration has allowed to enter the United States exposes the widespread failure to adequately vet, apprehend, detain, and remove illegal aliens.”
“In some cases, the illegal aliens had committed crimes in their home countries but were nevertheless released from DHS custody,” the document continued. “In other cases, the illegal aliens had criminal records or were gang members and were still released into the United States. In all cases, the illegal aliens went on to commit crimes in American communities ranging from murder and robbery to brutal assault.”
The committee report accused Senate Democrats of failing to consider H.R. 2, the Secure Border Act of 2023. The act would limit asylum eligibility to non-US citizens who arrive in the country through a port of entry, among other provisions. Democrats argued that the bill politicized a tragedy and is too broad in scope.
“To secure America, the Senate must pass, and President Biden must sign into law, H.R. 2. In the meantime, the Committee and Subcommittee will continue to conduct vigorous oversight to inform legislative reforms to address President Biden and Vice President Harriss’ dangerous immigration policies,” the report stated.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol data from fiscal year 2021 through the middle of July 2024, the agency recorded over 52,000 arrests of illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
