On a jogging trail behind the University of Georgia, Athens police found the body of 22-year-old Laken Riley two weeks ago. Because her suspected attacker, Jose Ibarra, a citizen of Athens, entered the nation illegally, her horrific killing attracted global attention. Riley's terrible demise, however, fits within a pattern. Jacqueline Medina found her 16-year-old daughter Lizbeth abused and stabbed in their shared Texas apartment only four months earlier.
Arrested and accused of killing Medina was Rafael Govea Romero, an undocumented immigrant on parole for stealing. Today is the 24-year-old's first scheduled court appearance.
Romero allegedly followed Medina before "intentionally [causing her] death while attempting to commit a burglary, robbery, or sexual assault," according to the indictment that Fox News was able to receive.
According to Medina's corpse, her murderer "struck" Medina's head "with a hard object," "caused her head to strike a firm surface," and "repeatedly stabbed or cut" Medina "with a sharp object or edged weapon."
Riley and Medina have a lot in common. Riley was a nursing student at the University of Georgia, and Medina was a recent nominee for the Congress of Future Medical Leaders Award of Excellence. Their shared goal was to become nurses. Riley was a runner, and Medina was a cheerleader.
The girls' heartbreaking deaths are not the only thing in common. On her daily run, Riley was killed, and Medina was found out because she had skipped a cheerleading practice. Neither knew their purported murderers, and both died very brutally. The fact that Laken and Lizbeth's deaths were totally avoidable is crucial.
The connection between immigration officials and law enforcement is one aspect of the breakdown. When police make an arrest for a criminal violation involving an illegal immigrant, they have the option to "lodge a detainer," which is the procedure of giving custody of the offender to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for eventual deportation.
According to ICE, "detainers are an effective tool in keeping criminals out of local communities," but they are only useful when police use them.
The webpage states that it "undermines ICE's ability to protect public safety and carry out its mission when law enforcement agencies fail to honor immigration detainers and release serious criminal offenders onto the streets."
Following Romero's suspected murder of Medina, Texas authorities placed him under arrest. Why New York police did not place Ibarra under arrest after accusing him of recklessly endangering a kid in 2023 is unknown.
Police only issue detainers for felony offenses, so when illegal immigrants commit small-time crimes like stealing, they are not reported to ICE. To modify this regulation, Representative Mike Collins of Georgia filed H.R. 7511, also known as the Laken Riley Act.
Rafael Romero could still be alive if ICE had taken him into custody after his theft arrest. The House may vote on the Laken Riley Act as soon as this week. If implemented, H.R. 7511 might aid in strengthening domestic immigration enforcement; nevertheless, residents will not feel secure until the United States puts an end to the essentially unfettered flow of individuals entering the country via the southern border.
Agents of Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) saw more individuals entering the country illegally in the first four months of this fiscal year than Denver's entire population: 962,000. When one does not include individuals who were removed under Title 42 during the epidemic, CBP personnel have dealt with 4.8 million illegal immigrants since 2021.
After overflowing border facilities, the government ships a large number of these undocumented immigrants to other locations around the nation. According to CBP records uncovered by the Center for Immigration Studies, more over 320,000 undocumented immigrants took flights to 43 American airports in 2023 using public funds.
Just as cities are unable to accommodate and care for this staggering flood of people, our already overburdened law enforcement apparatus is unable to appropriately police it. People accused of crimes will continue to fall between the gaps unless something dramatic happens, and women like Lizbeth Medina and Laken Riley will continue to suffer as a result.
Arrested and accused of killing Medina was Rafael Govea Romero, an undocumented immigrant on parole for stealing. Today is the 24-year-old's first scheduled court appearance.
Romero allegedly followed Medina before "intentionally [causing her] death while attempting to commit a burglary, robbery, or sexual assault," according to the indictment that Fox News was able to receive.
According to Medina's corpse, her murderer "struck" Medina's head "with a hard object," "caused her head to strike a firm surface," and "repeatedly stabbed or cut" Medina "with a sharp object or edged weapon."
Riley and Medina have a lot in common. Riley was a nursing student at the University of Georgia, and Medina was a recent nominee for the Congress of Future Medical Leaders Award of Excellence. Their shared goal was to become nurses. Riley was a runner, and Medina was a cheerleader.
The girls' heartbreaking deaths are not the only thing in common. On her daily run, Riley was killed, and Medina was found out because she had skipped a cheerleading practice. Neither knew their purported murderers, and both died very brutally. The fact that Laken and Lizbeth's deaths were totally avoidable is crucial.
The connection between immigration officials and law enforcement is one aspect of the breakdown. When police make an arrest for a criminal violation involving an illegal immigrant, they have the option to "lodge a detainer," which is the procedure of giving custody of the offender to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for eventual deportation.
According to ICE, "detainers are an effective tool in keeping criminals out of local communities," but they are only useful when police use them.
The webpage states that it "undermines ICE's ability to protect public safety and carry out its mission when law enforcement agencies fail to honor immigration detainers and release serious criminal offenders onto the streets."
Following Romero's suspected murder of Medina, Texas authorities placed him under arrest. Why New York police did not place Ibarra under arrest after accusing him of recklessly endangering a kid in 2023 is unknown.
Police only issue detainers for felony offenses, so when illegal immigrants commit small-time crimes like stealing, they are not reported to ICE. To modify this regulation, Representative Mike Collins of Georgia filed H.R. 7511, also known as the Laken Riley Act.
Rafael Romero could still be alive if ICE had taken him into custody after his theft arrest. The House may vote on the Laken Riley Act as soon as this week. If implemented, H.R. 7511 might aid in strengthening domestic immigration enforcement; nevertheless, residents will not feel secure until the United States puts an end to the essentially unfettered flow of individuals entering the country via the southern border.
Agents of Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) saw more individuals entering the country illegally in the first four months of this fiscal year than Denver's entire population: 962,000. When one does not include individuals who were removed under Title 42 during the epidemic, CBP personnel have dealt with 4.8 million illegal immigrants since 2021.
After overflowing border facilities, the government ships a large number of these undocumented immigrants to other locations around the nation. According to CBP records uncovered by the Center for Immigration Studies, more over 320,000 undocumented immigrants took flights to 43 American airports in 2023 using public funds.
Just as cities are unable to accommodate and care for this staggering flood of people, our already overburdened law enforcement apparatus is unable to appropriately police it. People accused of crimes will continue to fall between the gaps unless something dramatic happens, and women like Lizbeth Medina and Laken Riley will continue to suffer as a result.
