Joy Reid Claims GOP ‘Demagoguing’ Laken Riley Murder with Legislation, Migrant Crime ‘Negligible’
MSNBC’s Joy Reid accused Republicans of “truly demagoguing” the death of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student in Georgia whose murder has become central to the immigration policy debate after a 26-year-old migrant was arrested for the murder.
Jose Antonio Ibarra is in custody and according to ICE, he unlawfully crossed the southern border in 2022.
In a Tuesday conversation with Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Reid briefly turned to Riley and the House-passed Laken Riley Act. The legislation got the support of all House Republicans and 37 Democrats.
Reid called migrant crime “negligible” and suggested the Laken Riley Act simply reinforces laws already on the books. The legislation, cosponsored and authored by Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), would force ICE to detain any migrants commit theft-related crimes, allow state Attorney Generals to sue the Secretary of Homeland Security “for injunctive relief if immigration actions such as parole, violation of detention requirements, or other policy failures harm that state or its citizens.”
“They’ve been truly demagoguing an issue of a Georgia young woman who was killed, a Georgia young nursing student named Laken Riley. They’ve now passed a law called the Laken Riley Act. All Republican members and 37 Democrats voted in the House to support the bill,” she said. “The legislation requires the detention of any migrant who has been accused of burglary or theft. My understanding is that burglary and theft are already illegal. What does this law add to the current existing law? Is it just a messaging bill? Does it do anything or change anything? I will note for our audience overall crime is down this year across this country and migrant crime is negligible.”
Crime fell overall in 2023 with murders seeing an historic decline. Crime remains a concern in major cities like Chicago and New York City though. Chicago, for instance, saw a 13% drop in homicides in 2023, but the number of people killed is still one of the highest recorded in the last two decades. Robbery, theft and criminal sexual assault saw upticks in 2023 in the city.
In New York City, crime also dropped in 2023, but New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) also recently deployed hundreds of National Guard soldiers to New York City’s subways to help curb crime there.
While Reid argued something like burglary is already against the law, supporters of the Laken Riley Act have pointed to the fact that her alleged killer had run-ins with the law prior. Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Ibarra and his brother were issued citations for shoplifting in October 2023. A warrant was later issued for his arrest when he failed to go to court.
Riley was killed on February 22.
Supporters of the Laken Riley Act argue Ibarra’s illegal status should mean he remains detained even if it is for a misdemeanor crime like theft.
Warnock called the Laken Riley Act “smoke and mirrors” and called for Republicans to support the bipartisan border bill backed by President Joe Biden.
“To answer your question succinctly, this is smoke and mirrors by people who are not serious. We had a bipartisan piece of legislation in front of us,” Warnock told Reid. “It had a lot of provisions, some provisions that some folks on my side didn’t like, but the only way to get comprehensive immigration reform, the only way to address the current crisis on the border in divided government is on a bipartisan basis. And so rather than demagoguing this tragic death by this young woman, they ought to get serious. And let’s pass some bipartisan legislation and deal with the crisis at the border.”
Watch above via MSNBC.
