White House won’t say if Biden will address Laken Riley’s death at State of the Union speech

The White House on Tuesday would not say whether President Biden plans to talk about Laken Riley’s murder – allegedly at the hands of an illegal immigrant – during his upcoming State of the Union address.

Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University, was killed while jogging on trails around the University of Georgia campus. Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national who was living illegally in the United States, has been charged in her murder, which has sparked national outrage and provoked renewed criticism of Biden’s border policies. 

Asked by Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy whether Biden planned to address Riley’s death during his State of the Union speech Thursday night, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she had nothing to share about the president’s speech related to that topic. 

“This is such a tragic story and, obviously, situation. This is someone’s life that was lost. So I do want to always acknowledge and extend our deepest condolences to her family and to her friends and the people who loved her,” Jean-Pierre said. 

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She noted that Biden recently traveled to Brownsville, Texas, to visit the southern border and repeated the White House’s attack line on Republicans for opposing a bipartisan deal that would have increased border security funding and tightened rules for asylum-seekers. Republicans who oppose the measure say the deal would have normalized high levels of illegal immigration. 

Riley’s death has become a political rallying cry for Republicans, who argue every crime committed by illegal aliens could have been prevented were the border secure. 

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Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., on Monday announced legislation, the Laken Riley Act, that would require ICE to detain illegal immigrants who are charged with local theft or burglary. Ibarra had been cited in a shoplifting incident before he was released and went on to allegedly kill Riley. 

Republican Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., on Monday penned a letter to Biden, calling on him to acknowledge Riley’s death during the State of the Union address. 

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“As Commander-in-Chief, it is your duty to protect American citizens, and this tragedy highlights the urgent need to address the surge in crime resulting from your negligence at our southern border,” Banks wrote.

“Your failure to publicly acknowledge this tragedy is unacceptable,” he added.

Last week, the White House provided a statement to Fox News Digital regarding Riley’s death. “We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Laken Hope Riley,” a spokesperson said. “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.”

Biden, himself, has not addressed the death of Riley, despite being asked during a press conference if he bears any responsibility for it following a speech last week. 

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Ibarra, who lived within a five-minute walk of the approximate crime scene, is charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another.

Ibarra entered the United States through the U.S.-Mexico border in 2022 and was freed on border parole. He initially lived in New York City before moving to Athens. 

Fox News’ Julia Johnson, Aubrie Spady and Thomas Phippen contributed to this report.