A series of high-profile crimes allegedly committed by illegal migrants has intensified the focus on illegal immigration as the 2024 presidential election approaches.
Several high-profile crimes against women, allegedly committed by illegal migrants, have brought the issue of illegal immigration into sharper focus as the 2024 presidential election draws nearer. Among these crimes are the killing of a nursing student in Georgia, the rape and murder of a mother of five in Maryland, and the strangulation of a 12-year-old girl in Texas. These incidents have led to new state-level legislation and have kept immigration in the news, forcing President Joe Biden, already facing low marks on immigration due to the ongoing border crisis, to remain on the defensive.
During his most recent State of the Union speech, Biden was pushed to address one significant murder. “Lincoln [Laken] Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed,” Biden began to say during the 2024 State of the Union address. He was speaking about border security when Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene yelled at him to “say her name.” Biden held up a pin given to him by Greene and began to speak about the murder that took place a month prior. “By an illegal. That’s right,” he said. “But how many of thousands of people are being killed by legals? To her parents, I say: My heart goes out to you. Having lost children myself, I understand.”
Riley, a nursing student in Athens, Georgia, was abducted and murdered while jogging near the University of Georgia campus on February 22. She died from blunt force trauma to the head, a coroner determined. José Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national, was subsequently arrested for her murder. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) later confirmed that Ibarra entered the country illegally, sparking statewide and national backlash.
The murder prompted a recall campaign against Athens, Georgia, Mayor Kelly Girtz, the sheriff, and the district attorney. Constituents called for their resignations. Despite Girtz repeatedly saying that Athens was not a “sanctuary” city, unearthed emails revealed his support for the town’s policy of not fully cooperating with immigration detainer requests. In response, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed legislation requiring sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration authorities or risk losing state funding. The new law mandates local jailers hold any foreign national wanted by ICE agents.
Former President Donald Trump, an immigration hawk, highlighted Riley’s murder on the campaign trail, meeting with her family at a Georgia campaign rally in March. “He’s got no remorse, he’s got no regret. He’s got no empathy,” Trump said of Biden. “No compassion, and worst of all, he has no intention of stopping the deadly invasion that stole precious Laken’s beautiful, American life.”
The killing of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston further fueled national outrage. Nungaray’s body was found in a creek in June, and two Venezuelan nationals, Johan Jose Rangel Martinez and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, were arrested. DNA tests determined she had been sexually assaulted before being strangled to death. Both men were living in the U.S. illegally, with one having been in the country for less than a month.
Trump called Nungaray’s mother just before his first 2024 presidential debate with Biden to express his condolences, a gesture that reportedly “shocked” her, according to the New York Post.
The family of Rachel Morin, a Maryland mother of five allegedly murdered by an illegal migrant, revealed last month they were “deeply touched” by Trump’s outreach after a suspect was apprehended. Authorities confirmed that Morin’s alleged killer, Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, is wanted for a murder in El Salvador.
These incidents have intensified scrutiny on illegal immigration, a major concern for American voters amid the ongoing border crisis. Under Biden, Border Patrol agents have encountered more than seven million migrants crossing illegally into the U.S. according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Although Biden has recently seen a slowdown in migrant apprehensions due to a crackdown by the Mexican government and an executive order controlling asylum seekers, critics argue that the record levels of illegal migration experienced under his tenure are his doing.
In his first year, Biden undertook 296 executive actions on immigration, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Of these, 89 specifically reversed or began undoing Trump’s immigration policies, including ending the Remain in Mexico program and halting new border wall construction.
Recently, Biden granted mass amnesty to half a million illegal migrants married to U.S. citizens. Critics argue this will encourage more illegal immigration.
“There’s no reason to doubt that the Biden administration — with its history of paroling inadequately vetted, inadmissible aliens into the country — will rubber-stamp every application under the President’s executive order, thus granting half a million or more illegal immigrants permanent residency and, eventually, citizenship,” Erik Ruark, director of research for NumbersUSA, said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“Amidst a historic border crisis, President Biden’s illegal amnesty sends would-be migrants the message that our borders remain wide open, and that they will eventually be rewarded if they can get into the country,” Ruark continued.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
