Georgia Rep to leave seat at State of the Union vacant to honor Laken Riley

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The parents of a 22-year-old nursing student murdered on the University of Georgia campus have declined Georgia Rep. Mike Collins’ invitation to Thursday’s State of the Union address.

Laken Riley was killed as she ran a trail on campus last month. An undocumented immigrant, Jose Ibarra, was arrested and charged with her murder.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The congressman had asked her parents to attend President Joe Biden’s annual speech, according to his office.

RELATED STORIES:

• Laken Riley murder: Affidavits reveal disturbing details about death of 22-year-old nursing student
• PHOTOS: UGA gathers for vigil honoring 2 students who died on campus last week
• Vigil held in Athens honoring 2 students who died on UGA campus

Collins said they declined the invitation as they grieve the loss of their daughter.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Instead, the seat will remain vacant “to honor Americans he could have invited had their lives not been cut short by foreign criminals who had no business being in this country.”

Collins introduced legislation earlier this week that would require ICE to detain illegal immigrants who are charged with theft or burglary. The legislation is called the Laken Riley Act.

Ibarra had been arrested on several previous occasions, including on shoplifting and DUI charges.

“As the president paints a rosy picture of the crime-ridden country he has created, he will see an empty seat in the gallery that memorializes those who are no longer with us because of his open border,” Collins wrote.

Trump, Biden visit U.S. border amid calls for change in wake of Laken Riley murder

©2023 Cox Media Group