Biden White House responds to Laken Riley murder on UGA campus: ‘People should be held accountable’

The White House on Monday shared a statement regarding the murder of Augusta University student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus in Athens.

“We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Laken Hope Riley,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “People should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law if they are found to be guilty. Given this is an active case, we would have to refer you to state law enforcement and ICE.”

UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark on Feb. 23 announced the arrest of Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela, who is accused of murdering Riley on UGA’s campus while she was out for a Thursday morning jog.

Clark said during a Friday evening press conference that Riley died of blunt force trauma.

LAKEN RILEY MURDER SUSPECT JOSE IBARRA LIVED WITHIN 5-MINUTE WALK OF UGA CRIME SCENE

Earlier, President Biden said the country’s laws and resources “haven’t kept up with our immigration system.”

“It’s broken, and our politics has failed to fix it,” the president said. “To my Republican friends on the hill: Doing nothing is not an option. Compromise is part of the process.”

GEORGIA MURDER SUSPECT CONFIRMED TO BE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT

Fox News Digital previously reported that Ibarra illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico in El Paso, Texas, in September 2022 and was paroled into the United States. 

He then traveled to New York City, where he temporarily lived with his wife, and then came to Athens, where he lived for about six months on the southern border of UGA’s campus, according to neighbors.

LAKEN RILEY MURDER SUSPECT’S BROTHER FIRED FROM UGA AFTER PRESENTING FAKE PASSPORT

Ibarra is now facing charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another.

His older brother, Diego Ibarra, who is charged with green card fraud, was briefly hired by UGA as a dishwasher in one of the school’s dining halls after he presented fake documentation. He has since been fired.

GEORGIA NURSING STUDENT FOUND DEAD ON UGA CAMPUS IDENTIFIED AS LAKEN RILEY

In a statement to Fox News Digital, ICE confirmed Jose Antonio Ibarra had been encountered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Sept. 8, 2022. ICE also confirmed that he had been arrested by the New York Police Department a year later, on Sept. 14, 2023, and “charged with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation.”

BROTHER OF UGA MURDER SUSPECT CHARGED WITH GREEN CARD FRAUD

Riley’s family posted a statement on Saturday, describing the 22-year-old as “an amazing daughter, sister, friend and overall person.”

 

“Her love for the Lord was exemplified in every aspect of her life. She will be missed every day, but we promise to honor her life moving forward in a very big way,” the statement shared with WXIA read, in part. “During this most difficult time, we ask that you respect our privacy, and provide us the time and space necessary to grieve our daughter’s life that was tragically cut short.”

Fox News’ Adam Shaw, Michael Ruiz and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.