House Judiciary Committee report criticizes immigration policy, Laken Riley murder in focus

ATLANTA – The U.S. House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, and the Subcommittee on Integrity, Security and Immigration Enforcement, have issued a preliminary report that sharply criticizes the Biden-Harris administration's immigration policies, citing the case of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley and the “illegal alien” or undocumented immigrant accused of killing her.

The report claims that the Biden-Harris administration's immigration policies have led to an unprecedented mass release of over 7 million illegal immigrants into the United States. It also claims that these policies have overwhelmed cities, strained public services, and increased crime rates, posing significant risks to public safety.

According to the report, Chairman Jim Jordan and the subcommittee on February 27 launched an investigation into Jose Ibarra, the 26-year-old Venezuelan man accused of killing 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens on February 22.

Jose Ibarra enters the country illegally

During its investigation, the subcommittee found that Ibarra had lived “safely” in Ecuador with several family members from January 2017 to July 2022 before deciding to enter the United States illegally. The report alleges that Ibarra may have been attracted by the “open, no-consequences immigration policies” of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The subcommittee also revealed that Ibarra had lived in the Aragua province of Venezuela for nearly four years (January 2013 to November 2016) before moving to Ecuador. In addition, they discovered that Jose's brother Diego was allegedly a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

Ibarra was detained by Border Patrol on September 8, 2022, but was released just one day later because it was determined that his release was warranted by “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.” His file also shows that he was released due to limited capacity at the Central Processing Center in El Paso, Texas. Ibarra's file also showed that his wife and child entered the U.S. at the same time as him. However, the report says the subcommittee found that the agency had the capacity to detain Ibarra and his family members.

About a year after entering the country, Ibarra began his “criminal career” in the U.S., but not until he applied for asylum on May 22, 2023, according to the report. Ibarra had several run-ins with police, including arrests for child endangerment in New York City (September 2023) and a shoplifting charge (October 2023) in Athens, before Laken Riley's murder. Despite these arrests, ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) did not arrest him, and he was even granted a work permit on December 9, 2023.

According to the report, it was only after Laken Riley's murder and Ibarra's arrest that ICE finally obtained an arrest warrant for Ibarra.

Latest stories from Jose Ibarra:

Diego Ibarra comes to the country

According to the report, Jose's brother Diego, a Venezuelan national and suspected gang member, was arrested by Border Patrol agents near El Paso, Texas, on April 30, 2023. During his arrest, he attacked a Border Patrol agent and attempted to bite him.

Despite his violent behavior and obvious gang affiliation, the FBI did not prosecute Diego and he was released into the United States in an ankle bracelet. He eventually made his way to Athens, where his brother Jose joined him after leaving his family behind in New York City.

Latest Diego Ibarra stories

Argenis Ibarra also arrested

A third brother, Argenis Ibarra, was also arrested for being in the country illegally after Laken Riley's murder. Argenis entered the country at the same time as Diego. Although it does not appear that Argenis has a criminal history in the United States, he failed to follow procedures after being allowed to enter the United States and was arrested on those grounds when his brother Diego was arrested in Athens. His criminal history prior to his arrival in the United States is unknown.

Related: Murder on UGA campus: Third Ibarra brother also arrested for illegal entry

Biometric/biographical data will not be used to screen illegal immigrants from other countries

The report also reveals that the biometric and biographical data of illegal immigrants are only used to check against U.S. crime databases such as the National Crime Information Center and with information from INTERPOL. Immigration authorities reportedly do not check databases in the illegal immigrants' countries of origin.

Diploma

According to the report, ICE deported 41% fewer illegal immigrants with criminal convictions and charges in fiscal year 2023 than in fiscal year 2020 and nearly 60% fewer than in fiscal year 2019. The report states that there were more than 617,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records in the United States in December 2023.

Finally, the report calls on the Senate to pass HR 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, which the House of Representatives has already passed. The committee argues that this legislation is necessary to address the perceived dangers posed by the current administration's immigration policies. The report suggests that current policies will have long-term negative impacts on American communities and emphasizes the need for stricter enforcement of immigration laws.

Statistics on criminal non-citizens

According to the latest figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there were 15,267 arrests of “criminal noncitizens” in fiscal year 2023. There were 12,028 arrests in 2022 and 10,763 arrests in 2021. The number of arrests in 2020 (2,438) was at its lowest level since 2017, most likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So far in 2024, there have been about 14,000 arrests of criminal noncitizens.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, there were about 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States in 2022. However, some immigration groups estimate that there are as many as 16 million or more currently living in this country.

In addition, a chart from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that most crimes committed by criminal aliens are related to illegal entry or re-entry, driving under the influence of alcohol, illegal drug possession/trafficking, and assault/domestic violence.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a total of 162 murders committed by immigrants have occurred since fiscal year 2017 through March 2024.

Note: The population of the United States is about 330 million, which means that the share of undocumented immigrants was about 3.5 to 4.5% in 2022.

Related studies and their conclusions

Many politicians and others have stated that the recent increase in the number of immigrants, especially those without papers, has led to an increase in crime. These statements are usually made after a high-profile crime such as the murder of Laken Riley.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, research does not support this view. Numerous studies have purportedly shown that immigration is not associated with higher crime, but rather the opposite. One study found that undocumented immigrants are 33% less likely to be incarcerated than people born in the United States.

Opponents of open borders, however, point out that America may never fully know the extent of crimes committed by illegal immigrants because many local law enforcement agencies do not record the immigration status of criminals. In their view, even one crime is too many and easily prevented by closing the borders.

The state of Texas is the only state that has continuously recorded crime committed by undocumented immigrants since 2011.

According to their statistics, between June 1, 2011, and June 30, 2024, 437,000 criminal immigrants (308,000 of them classified as illegal) were charged with more than 533,000 crimes. These included 997 murder charges (with 498 convictions through June 2024), 1,245 kidnapping charges (with 354 convictions), 6,744 sexual assault charges (with 3,537 convictions), 7,763 sex offenses (with 3,537 convictions), and 6,560 weapons charges (with 2,138 convictions). Texas has another category called “All Other Crimes,” which includes 298,912 (and 103,265 convictions).

Laken Riley Act

Laken Riley's murder and the national attention it attracted led to the introduction of a bill called the Laken Riley Act (HR 7511). The bill, which passed the House of Representatives on March 7 by a bipartisan vote of 251 to 170, would strengthen immigration enforcement by requiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal immigrants who have committed theft offenses such as burglary, theft, and shoplifting. In addition, it would allow state attorneys general to sue the federal government over immigration policy decisions that they believe harm their states or citizens.

Despite passing the House, the bill faced significant opposition in the Senate. Senate Democrats have blocked the bill twice, arguing that it was a politicized response to a tragedy and too broad in scope. To date, the bill has not passed the Senate, and its future remains uncertain.

Supporters of the law argue that it is necessary to prevent further tragedies like Laken Riley's, while critics say it could lead to excessive incarceration and undermine broader immigration reform efforts.

Related: Collins calls Laken Riley Act “good policy” and wants Georgia senators to join in

Further sources