The trial of a Venezuelan undocumented migrant charged with the murder of a nursing student in a case spotlighted by Donald Trump during his presidential campaign began on Friday in Georgia.
Laken Riley, a student at Augusta University, was found dead in a wooded area near a lake on the University of Georgia campus in Athens last February after going for a morning jog.
Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, faces 10 charges, including murder and aggravated assault with intent to rape. If convicted, he could receive life imprisonment without parole.
The murder shocked the Athens community and sparked a nationwide debate over immigration policy. Trump, who heavily criticised border control measures under President Joe Biden, used Riley’s death to highlight his campaign message.
“Laken Riley would be alive today if Joe Biden had not willfully and maliciously eviscerated the borders of the United States,” Trump said in March, after meeting with Riley’s parents. He later referenced the case at the Republican National Convention.
Trump, who defeated Kamala Harris in the November 5 election, has pledged to tighten border security and enforce stricter immigration laws when he assumes office in January. He has also appointed Tom Homan, a staunch advocate for immigration enforcement, as his “border czar.”
Ibarra’s trial in Athens will likely reignite debates over undocumented migration and its implications for public safety, a focal point of Trump’s campaign rhetoric.
