House Judiciary Committee report criticizes immigration policies, Laken Riley murder highlighted

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ATLANTA - The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, chaired by Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, and the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement have issued an interim staff report that is highly critical of the Biden-Harris Administration's immigration policies, using the case of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley and the "illegal alien" or undocumented immigrant accused of killing her as an example

The report claims that the Biden-Harris Administration's immigration policies have led to an unprecedented mass release of over 7 million undocumented immigrants into the United States. It also claims 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 launched an investigation on Feb. 27 into Jose Ibarra, the 26-year-old man from Venezuela accused of killing 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus in Athens on Feb. 22.

Jose Ibarra enters the country illegally

During their investigation, the subcommittee discovered that Ibarra had lived "safely" in Ecuador with several family members from January 2017 through July 2022 before deciding to enter the United States illegally. The report claims that Ibarra may have been drawn by President Joe Biden's and Vice President Kamala Harris's "open-borders, no-consequence immigration policies."

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

Ibarra was arrested on Sept. 8, 2022, by Border Patrol but was released just one day later because it was determined that his release was warranted due to "urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit." According to his file, he was also released due to the limited capacity at the Central Processing Center in El Paso, Texas. Ibarra's file also indicated that his wife and child entered the U.S. with him at the same time. However, the report says that the subcommittee discovered that the agency did have the capacity to detain Ibarra and his family members.

Approximately a year after entering the country, Ibarra "began his criminal career" in the U.S., but not until he filed for asylum on May 22, 2023, according to the report. Ibarra had several run-ins with law enforcement, including arrests for child endangerment in New York City (September 2023) and a citation for shoplifting (October 2023) in Athens, before the murder of Laken Riley. Despite these arrests, ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) did not detain him, and he was even granted employment authorization on Dec. 9, 2023.

According to the report, it was only after the murder of Laken Riley and Ibarra's arrest that ICE finally lodged a detainer against Ibarra.

Latest Jose Ibarra stories:

Diego Ibarra Enters the Country

According to the report, Jose's brother, Diego, a Venezuelan national and alleged gang member, was apprehended by Border Patrol agents on April 30, 2023, near El Paso, Texas. He assaulted and attempted to bite a Border Patrol agent during his arrest.

Despite his violent behavior and apparent gang affiliations, the FBI did not pursue prosecution of Diego, and he was released with an ankle monitor into the United States. He eventually made his way to Athens, where his brother, Jose, joined him after leaving his family in New York City.

Latest Diego Ibarra stories

Argenis Ibarra Also Arrested

A third brother, Argenis Ibarra, was also arrested after the murder of Laken Riley for being in the country illegally. Argenis entered the country at the same time as Diego. While it does not appear that Argenis has a criminal history in the U.S., he failed to follow procedures once he was allowed into the U.S. and was arrested for those reasons when his brother Diego was arrested in Athens. His criminal history before arriving in the United States is unknown.

Biometric/Biographic Data Not Used to Vet Undocumented Immigrants from Other Countries

The report also reveals that the biometric and biographic data gathered from undocumented immigrants is only used for vetting against U.S. criminal databases, such as the National Crime Information Center and against INTERPOL information. Immigration authorities reportedly do not check databases in the countries where the undocumented immigrants are coming from.

Conclusion

According to the report, ICE removed 41% fewer undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions and criminal charges in fiscal year 2023 compared to fiscal year 2020, and nearly 60% fewer than in fiscal year 2019. The report claims that there were more than 617,000 undocumented immigrants with criminal records in the U.S. as of December 2023.

The report concludes by urging the Senate to pass H.R. 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 the current policies will have long-lasting negative effects on American communities and emphasizes the need for stricter immigration enforcement.

Criminal Noncitizen Statistics

According to the latest numbers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there were 15,267 "criminal noncitizen" arrests in fiscal year 2023. In 2022, there were 12,028 arrests, and 10,763 arrests in 2021. Arrests were at their lowest in 2020 (2,438) since 2017, most likely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, there have been approximately 14,000 criminal noncitizen arrests in 2024.

There were approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. as of 2022, according to the Department of Homeland Security. However, some immigration groups have estimated that there are as many as 16 million or more currently residing in this country.

Additionally, a table by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that most crimes committed by criminal noncitizens are related to illegal entry or re-entry, driving under the influence, illegal drug possession/trafficking, and assault/battery/domestic violence.

As of March 2024, there have been 162 total homicides committed by immigrants since fiscal year 2017, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.

Note: The United States has a population of about 330 million, which means the undocumented immigrant population was roughly 3.5 to 4.5% in 2022.

Related Studies and What They Say

Many politicians and others have stated that the recent increase in immigrants, especially undocumented ones, has caused spikes 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 reportedly shown that immigration is not linked to higher levels of crime, but rather the opposite. One study found that undocumented immigrants are 33% less likely to be incarcerated than people born in the U.S.

Opponents of open borders point out that America may never know the full extent of crime committed by undocumented immigrants, however, because many local law enforcement agencies do not log the immigration status of criminals. It is their opinion that even one crime is too many and easily prevented by closing the borders.

The state of Texas is the only state that has consistently tracked 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 classified as illegal) were charged with more than 533,000 criminal offenses. Those included 997 homicide charges (resulting in 498 convictions as of June 2024), 1,245 kidnapping charges (resulting in 354 convictions), 6,744 sexual assault charges (resulting in 3,537 convictions), 7,763 sexual offense charges (resulting in 3,537 sexual offense convictions), and 6,560 weapons charges (resulting in 2,138 weapons convictions). Texas includes another category called "All Other Offenses," which tallies 298,912 (and 103,265 convictions).

Laken Riley Act

The murder of Laken Riley and the national attention it received led to the introduction of a proposed piece of legislation named the Laken Riley Act (H.R. 7511). The bill, which passed the House of Representatives on March 7 with a bipartisan vote of 251-170, seeks to strengthen immigration enforcement by mandating that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detain undocumented immigrants who have committed theft-related crimes such as burglary, larceny, and shoplifting. Additionally, it would allow state attorneys general to sue the federal government for immigration policy decisions that they believe harm their states or citizens.

Despite its passage in the House, the bill has faced significant opposition in the Senate. Senate Democrats have twice blocked the act, arguing that it is a politicized response to a tragedy and overly broad in its scope. As of now, the bill has not passed the Senate, and its future remains uncertain.

Supporters of the bill argue that it is necessary to prevent further tragedies like the one that befell Laken Riley, while critics contend that it may lead to excessive detentions and undermine broader immigration reform efforts.

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