Hawley criticizes Dem activist for minimizing migrant crime: "Is this really not an issue?"

During a Senate hearing on the "Remain in Mexico" policy, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., confronted a migrant rights activist in a heated exchange, accusing the activist of minimizing the murder of Laken Riley and dismissing migrant crime as an insignificant issue.

"In March of 2024, you wrote: 'The murder of a nursing student in Georgia has sparked a lot of conversation about migrant crime as if it's a real problem,'" said Hawley.

In February, a 22-year-old nursing student named Riley was discovered dead on the University of Georgia's campus. Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, was later found guilty of 10 counts, including felony murder. Despite initially pleading not guilty, he was ultimately sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in November.

"Isn't Laken Riley's murder, which was committed by an illegal migrant who was also paroled in the US, not a significant issue?"

Adam Isacson, director of defense oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America, responded by saying: "Of course it’s a tragedy."

"Isacson clarified that he did not deny the authenticity of Laken Riley's death, but rather emphasized that migrant crime is not a significant issue compared to U.S. citizen-committed crime."

"Because of migrant crime, Riley is dead," Hawley replied.

Travis Wolfe, a 12-year-old from the St. Louis area, was killed in a car crash involving an illegal immigrant, as Hawley highlighted.

"He stated that he believes their violent murders are genuine issues, and that it is unacceptable for anyone to deny this fact and advise the Senate against passing the Laken Riley Act. He added that he finds it outrageous that anyone would claim that the entire issue is fabricated."

Isacson, who claimed to have been invited to testify in the hearing by a Democratic member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, stated that the bipartisan Laken Riley Act, which has already passed in the House and would require ICE to arrest and detain illegal immigrants that have committed a crime, "could do a lot of harm" and "would allow me to say: ‘oh, this person shoplifted.’ And that would be enough probable cause to get somebody deported."

Hawley stated: "It's important to clarify that migrant crime is a genuine concern."

"He stated that the Laken Riley Act is absolutely necessary and proposed an amendment to cover people like Travis Wolfe. He believes that ICE should detain illegal migrants who commit violent crimes against children like Travis Wolfe."

Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and law and policy expert at the Center for Immigration Studies, stated that Hawley's comments reflected the frustration of many Americans regarding migrant crime in the United States.

"The Department of Homeland Security's purpose is to safeguard citizens of the United States and lawfully present aliens from criminal threats. However, under the Biden-Harris administration, this has not been achieved at the border."

"Criminals who should not be allowed in the US were released and now prey on both migrant and citizen communities. Tom Homan, Donald Trump's border czar, and the president must round up, detain, and remove all criminal aliens who harm both communities."

Although there were theatrics, Arthur stated that the hearing was "good" because there was "a lot of bipartisan agreement on the need to secure the border."

The first time Remain in Mexico was used under the Trump administration, Customs and Border Protection considered it indispensable for border security," he said. "Given the significant financial gains of cartels from illegal immigration over the past four years, with an estimated 8 million to 10 million unlawful entries into the US and a relatively low number of individuals sent back to Mexico, I believe that enforcing the border and re-implementing Remain in Mexico would be beneficial.

"The cartels will continue to profit and expand their operations as long as large numbers of migrants enter the United States."