UGA campus murder: Gov. Kemp accuses White House, calls for swift action

ATLANTA - Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp expressed his condolences and offered thoughts and prayers to the family of Laken Riley during an appearance on Fox & Friends on Sunday. He also spoke on Monday morning at the Athens Area Chamber of Comerce's "Pancakes and Policy" event. 

Kemp, who is a Republican, is demanding answers from the White House following the killing of nursing student Laken Riley. He initially sent a letter to the White House on Saturday. He followed that letter with Sunday night's interview. Kemp says Biden has yet to reach out to him. 

The alleged murderer, 26-year-old Jose Ibarra, was arrested for the crime last week near Lake Herrick on the University of Georgia's campus. 

MURDER SUSPECT ENTERED COUNTRY ILLEGALLY

Ibarra, who lives in Athens, is not a U.S. citizen. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Ibarra is from Venezuela and crossed the Texas border illegally in September 2022. He was subsequently put on a bus to New York City, where he was arrested and later released before making his way to Georgia.

Gov. Kemp expressed his concern, stating, "As you can imagine, they are just struck with grief, they are heartbroken, and they're also, like I am, upset and mad and outraged at this incident that happened."

Following the killing, the brother of the suspected murderer, Diego Ibarra, also from Venezuela, was arrested and accused of possessing a fraudulent U.S. Permanent Resident Card, commonly known as a green card. Federal investigators revealed that the 29-year-old undocumented man had been arrested three times by Athens law enforcement on charges including shoplifting, impaired driving, and driving without a license.

STORIES ABOUT LAKEN HOPE RILEY'S DEATH

• UGA campus death: Nursing student killed while jogging on UGA campus
• Laken Riley, nursing student found dead on UGA campus | What we know
• Who is Jose Antonio Ibarra? Man arrested for murder of Laken Riley at UGA campus
• UGA murder suspect’s brother arrested for fake green card that he used to get job on campus
• Funeral plans announced for Laken Hope Riley
• Are there sanctuary cities/counties in Georgia?

BIDEN ACCUSED OF ‘PASSING THE BUCK’

Kemp accused the Biden administration of "passing the buck" on the crisis at the border, urging action to secure the border and prevent similar incidents in the future. 

Gov. Kemp also criticized the Biden administration during the Fox & Friends interview for changes in policies that he believes contributed to the influx of millions of people into the country, including individuals who committed crimes.

"We now have, you know, millions of people, seven and a half, eight and a half, however many million people that have come into our country," Kemp said. "And then you have people like these two individuals that came into the country and they committed crimes and nobody was notified of those. And why were they not sent back? Why are we allowing people to come here that are not U.S. citizens and break our laws and then not send them back home? It’s so frustrating."

"This is a federal issue. This is an issue the president can take action on," Kemp added.

KEMP SENDING MORE TROOPS TO BORDER

Gov. Kemp had initiated efforts to enhance protection at the southern border before Riley's murder, and he continues to advocate for more federal support in addressing what he and others perceive as a crisis at the border. Currently, nearly 30 troops are stationed there, with an additional 15 to 20 expected to deploy in the coming weeks to help build a command post.

RELATED: Gov. Kemp offers to send troops to Texas border amid Abbott standoff with Biden administration

The Biden administration and Democrats attribute the border security challenges to House Republicans for not passing a bipartisan foreign aid bill.

In memory of Laken Riley, her sorority will hold a vigil at 3 p.m. on Monday at Tate Plaza, and visitation and funeral services are scheduled for Friday at Woodstock City Church, with the funeral set for 2 p.m.