'Declare an Invasion': Laken Riley’s Father Gives Heartbreaking Address to Georgia Senate

AP Photo/Mike Stewart

The father of the late Laken Riley has made an emotional plea to lawmakers in Georgia to help crack down on the illegal immigrant invasion as thousands of them continue to arrive in the country on a daily basis.

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Jason Riley made the remarks before the Georgia state Senate on Wednesday, describing himself as a "heartbroken man" following the murder of his daughter:

I stand before you, a heartbroken man. Part of my purpose has been taken. God gave me a beautiful daughter to father, protect, provide for and nurture. A man with an evil heart stole her life. He was in this country and in this state illegally. My vision for every senator in this chamber is that you protect citizens from this illegal invasion.


Read: Georgia Democrat Mayor's Presser on Laken Riley Murder Case Does Not Go Well As Tensions Boil Over


Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, was killed, while out running, by Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal alien from Venezuela who had no right to be in the United States. He was previously arrested on charges of child abuse, although was eventually released by authorities.

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Her father also implored lawmakers to recognize that that "over a million illegal aliens are in this state and making families nervous." He also pointed out how many of those crossing the border are victims of human and sex trafficking:

Governor Kemp, please declare an invasion to detain and deport criminal illegals so we can prevent future families from those tragedies. Hundreds of women and children each month… are being smuggled, coerced, and trafficked in our state. They are victims, just like Laken. I thank you for honoring Laken in this way, and I humbly ask you to do more to protect us. She and my family mean the world to me.

I'd like to also recognize Senator Colton Moore and Michael Gargiulo, who are great men fighting for freedom and security in our state. They were there for our family throughout this process. I thank them and each of you for this opportunity to hear from our family and to hear our cry for help so we can protect others as Laken would have wanted. 

Jason Riley's speech came just days after he gave a television interview where he said he did not want his daughter's legacy to be used solely for political purposes:

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I'd rather her not be such a political, how you say — it started a storm in our country, and it's incited a lot of people. There's people on both sides that have lashed out at our families.

I think it's being used politically to get those votes. It makes me angry. I feel like, you know, they're just using my daughter’s name for that. And she was much better than that, and she should be raised up for the person that she is. She was an angel.

One can now only hope that Riley's killer faces the full force of justice. He is facing charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing someone's death. 

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