The family of Laken Riley, the Georgia nursing student whose life was ended by the hands of an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, has thrown their support behind Republican Representative Mike Collins in Georgia’s Senate race, months after he helped push through Congress a bill bearing her name, aimed squarely at cracking down on illegal immigrant crime.
From their endorsement:
A lot of people go to Washington and it changes them. However, in the short time that we have known him, Mike Collins went to Washington and changed it. There is simply no one else in this race who deserves to be in the U.S. Senate more than Mike Collins. He is someone who says what he means, means what he says, and actually delivers results that matter. Mike Collins has the honor, intergity, work ethic, and track record to represent all Georgians well in the U.S. Senate. What Mike did for our family wasn’t about politics, and it wasn’t about attention or the spotlight. He stood up to do what was right and help bring justice for our sweet Laken. For that, our family will be forever grateful to Mike Collins, (Alabama U.S.) Senator Katie Britt and President Trump.
PRESS RELEASE: Laken Riley's family endorses @MikeCollinsGA for U.S. Senate. #gapol #gasen pic.twitter.com/zpZJ6RsxEW
— Team Mike Collins Press 🇺🇸 (@CollinsPressGA) August 18, 2025
Representative Collins introduced the Laken Riley Act in the House while Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) did the same in the Senate, and they helped to gather enough support to pass the bill through both chambers in January. The bill passed with bipartisan support.
The bill requires that illegal immigrants and other non-citizens arrested for crimes or any offense causing serious injury or death be held without bail. It covers those who entered illegally, committed immigration fraud, or lied about citizenship, and applies even if charges are later dropped.
Laken Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University who was murdered on February 22, 2024, while out for a morning run. She was last heard from sending a text to her mother before her body was later found in a wooded area. An autopsy showed she died from blunt force trauma and asphyxiation. The killer was 26-year-old José Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, who was convicted of murder, felony murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault after prosecutors said Riley fought back against the attempted assault. He had a prior arrest in New York for "acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17" and a motor vehicle license violation involving driving a scooter without a license.
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