A Georgia judge has denied a new trial for Laken Riley&#8217;s convicted killer, Jose Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela.
Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard denied the Tren de Aragua gang member&#8217;s request for a new trial, writing in a Monday order that the evidence against him was both &#8220;overwhelming and powerful,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/judge-ruling-new-trial-jose-ibarra-laken-riley-murder-conviction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to CBS News.
Ibarra was found guilty on ten charges, including murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with intent to rape, for killing Riley while she was jogging on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. The Venezuelan national was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2024.
<div id="attachment_831201" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-831201" class="wp-image-831201 size-medium" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-2064210746-300x200.jpg" alt="Supporters of former US President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump hold images of Laken Riley before he speaks at a &quot;Get Out the Vote&quot; rally in Rome, Georgia, on March 9, 2024. Riley, a nursing student, has become the face of immigration reform after her murder allegedly by an illegal immigrant on February 22, 2024. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage / AFP) (Photo by ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images)" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-2064210746-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-2064210746-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-2064210746-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-2064210746.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images</div>
Ibarra crossed the southern border illegally in September 2022 in El Paso, Texas, which was a popular smuggling route for the Venezuelan prison gang. He was subsequently released into the United States while his immigration case was pending and traveled to New York City, where he lived in a city-run shelter, <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/03/08/us-news/migrant-charged-with-murdering-laken-rileys-easy-path-to-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Post.
While in New York, Ibarra was arrested for riding a gas-powered moped with a child and no helmet or restraint, but was released without a detainer being enforced.
He then fled to Georgia, where his brother was living, and killed 22-year-old Riley on February 22, 2024.
Riley fought for her life, refusing &#8220;to be his rape victim,&#8221; prosecutors said, adding that Ibarra &#8220;bashed her skull in with a rock repeatedly,&#8221; <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/11/15/us-news/laken-riley-murder-trial-to-begin-friday-in-georgia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Post.
Ibarra&#8217;s roommate at the time later testified that he had received a taxpayer-funded ticket to fly south, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/18/us/laken-riley-murder-trial.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The New York Times. At the time, New York City was offering migrants travel accommodations to leave the city as it faced a crush of new arrivals from the border.
Riley&#8217;s killing became a flashpoint in the national immigration debate. President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act in 2025, requiring federal detention for illegal immigrants arrested for some crimes. He recently honored Riley&#8217;s parents during an event at the White House with Angel Families who&#8217;ve tragically lost loved ones at the hands of illegal immigrants.
Riley&#8217;s mother, Allyson Phillips, praised Trump&#8217;s work on border security, saying, &#8220;This happened to my family&#8230;and Laken was the most responsible, hardworking, kind, selfless, beautiful Christian and she wasn&#8217;t somebody that put herself in bad positions, she didn&#8217;t make bad choices, she was just a good girl.&#8221;
&#8220;She&#8217;s one in a ton of people that have suffered at the hands of illegal immigrants, she&#8217;s not the only one,&#8221; she added.

Jose Ibarra Returns To Court

Judge Denies New Trial For Laken Riley’s Illegal Immigrant Killer

Georgia

illegal immigrant

Laken Riley

Tren De Aragua

President Donald Trump ripped the &#8220;sick&#8221; legacy media and Democratic Party for ignoring the families of Americans killed by illegal immigrants, officially declaring February 22 &#8220;National Angel Family Day&#8221; to recognize the families of those whose lives were taken by criminals who entered the country illegally.
Trump addressed the Angel Families at the White House on Monday, one day after the second anniversary of the murder of Laken Riley. Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/02/national-angel-family-day-2026/">proclamation</a> on Monday also recognized Jocelyn Nungaray and Rachel Morin, who were killed by illegal immigrants, and Matthew Denice, Sarah Root, and Ivory Smith, who were killed by drunk drivers who entered the country illegally.
&#8220;We&#8217;re willing to tell the story,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll2R6vKFd_c">said</a> of Riley&#8217;s life and tragic murder. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know why the news doesn&#8217;t want to hear it. The Democrats don&#8217;t want to hear it, the radical Left, they don&#8217;t want to hear it. What&#8217;s not to hear? We want to stop murderers and criminals from coming into our country.&#8221;
&#8220;I watch the mayor of Minneapolis, I watch these people saying we want to protect murderers. I don&#8217;t get it &#8230; there&#8217;s something sick. We can&#8217;t have a country like that,&#8221; he added.
Riley&#8217;s mother, Allyson Phillips, addressed the room full of reporters, Trump administration officials, and Angel Families, and thanked Trump for his work to crack down on illegal immigration and recognize the Americans killed by people who illegally crossed the border.
&#8220;You have said from the beginning, literally the day after [Riley&#8217;s murder], that you would not forget about Laken,&#8221; Phillips said. &#8220;You weren&#8217;t president at that time, and you have not forgotten. You have fought a fight that most people would not want to have to fight.&#8221;
Riley, 22, was brutally stabbed to death while out for a run on the University of Georgia campus on February 22, 2024. Riley&#8217;s murderer, 26-year-old Jose Ibarra from Venezuela, illegally entered the United States under the Biden administration in 2022. Ibarra was arrested for endangering a child on a scooter in New York shortly after entering the United States, but New York authorities released him from custody before Immigration and Customs Enforcement could lodge a detainer.
The former NYPD officer who arrested Ibarra for child endangerment in 2023 also spoke at the White House on Monday, saying, &#8220;I did my job. I put him in custody, but the system failed. No detainer. No accountability. No deportation. And an innocent American life was taken.&#8221;
Trump vowed to continue to crack down on Democrat-run &#8220;sanctuary cities.&#8221;
&#8220;They protect criminals with a vengeance,&#8221; he said, adding, &#8220;There&#8217;s something wrong with them.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s event honoring the families of Americans killed by illegal immigrants comes one day before he delivers his State of the Union address, where he will likely focus much of his time on touting his work to crack down on illegal immigration. Trump said during the White House press conference that his State of the Union address would be &#8220;a long speech because we have so much to talk about.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s immigration policy has been one of his top priorities since returning to the White House last year. As Trump has effectively shut down illegal immigration at the southern border and moved to deport illegal immigrants, Democrats have raged against Trump&#8217;s policy, especially his large ICE operations in cities such as Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis.
After Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed by federal agents last month, Democrats ramped up their efforts to oppose federal immigration enforcement, with some Democratic lawmakers calling for ICE to be &#8220;abolished&#8221; and suggesting that ICE agents are terrorists and murderers.
As anti-ICE demonstrations continued in Minneapolis earlier this month, Trump sent his border czar, Tom Homan, to Minnesota to talk with the state&#8217;s Democratic leaders. After meeting with Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Homan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-end-ices-operation-metro-surge-in-minnesota-homan-says">announced</a> the end of ICE&#8217;s immigration surge in the state and said that local Minnesota officials agreed to cooperate with federal authorities.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Trump Torches ‘Sick’ Democrats Who Ignore Americans Murdered By Illegal Immigrants

Donald Trump

Illegal Immigration

Trump Administration

Immigration is emerging as a central issue in Georgia&#8217;s competitive Senate race as the second anniversary of Laken Riley&#8217;s murder approaches. Riley, a nursing student, was killed in Athens, Georgia, by an illegal immigrant in a case that sparked national debate over border security.
The National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee released a digital ad on Friday, shared with The Daily Wire, targeting Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) over his immigration record. The spot accuses Ossoff of voting &#8220;in lockstep with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,&#8221; arguing their policies flooded our borders &#8220;with dangerous criminal illegals.”
&#8220;Jon Ossoff voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris&#8217; open borders policies every step of the way, and the consequences have been deadly for victims like Laken Riley. Ossoff fights for criminal illegals and Georgians pay the price,&#8221; NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia said.
The ad also highlights comments Ossoff made in 2020 during a virtual event, saying, &#8220;I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s the role of local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jon Ossoff Fights for Criminal Illegals" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fQsH1SJTb8k?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Ossoff ultimately voted in favor of the Laken Riley Act along with some other Democrats. However, Republicans criticized him earlier in the legislative process, arguing that he and other Democrats opposed the proposal when it was previously tied to broader spending negotiations in March 2024, according to <a href="https://www.wccsradio.com/2026/01/29/vulnerable-dems-support-for-alex-pretti-collides-with-laken-riley-act-anniversary/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WCCS.</a> The bill later passed with bipartisan support in January 2025.
In January, Puglia said Ossoff “refused to champion the Laken Riley Act and only flip-flopped on the life-saving legislation when it was politically expedient for him.”
The Senate fight comes as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) faces a funding lapse amid disagreements between Republicans and Democrats on federal immigration enforcement tactics. While ICE, which falls under DHS, is still largely funded under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed by President Donald Trump last year, the broader standoff has affected other DHS agencies, including FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard.
“When federal police are wearing masks, that’s a real bad sign,” Ossoff said <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTeAySsjXiM/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently</a> on the campaign trail. Democrats have called for ending the use of face coverings by federal immigration authorities during enforcement operations.
The Cook Political Report currently ranks the Georgia Senate race as a toss-up, placing it among the most competitive contests in the country alongside Maine, North Carolina, and Michigan.
On the Republican side, Reps. Mike Collins, Buddy Carter, and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley are competing in the Senate primary. Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp backs Dooley, while Trump has yet to endorse a candidate.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Ossoff campaign for comment.
Trump visited Georgia on Thursday amid heightened political activity, including a special election to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a once-staunch ally of the president who had a falling-out with him late last year.

US-VOTE-POLITICS-TRUMP

She Should Still Be Here — Laken Riley’s Case Reshapes Crucial Senate Race

Elections

homeland security

Jon Ossoff

Politics

Senate

The 2026 Grammy Awards were supposed to celebrate music. Instead, they became another stage for Hollywood’s favorite performance: moral superiority without consequences.
This year, celebrities like Billie Eilish, Teddy Swims, and Justin Bieber donned <a href="https://variety.com/2026/music/news/grammys-ice-out-pins-billie-eilish-kehlani-bon-iver-1236648441/">“ICE Out”</a> pins and used their acceptance speeches to condemn Immigration and Customs Enforcement and lecture Americans about justice, compassion, and humanity. From their gilded seats inside Crypto.com Arena, they urged unity and resistance all while remaining safely insulated from the real world consequences of the policies they champion.
That is the part no one on that stage ever acknowledges.
The celebrities grandstanding about immigration do not live in border communities. They do not compete for jobs with illegal labor. They do not deal with overwhelmed schools, strained hospitals, or rising crime. They do not have to explain to grieving families why their loved ones died because basic immigration enforcement was treated as immoral.
Where was the outrage from Hollywood when Laken Riley was murdered by an illegal immigrant? Where were the pins, speeches, and standing ovations then? Silence. Because acknowledging victims like her would complicate the narrative, Hollywood prefers slogans over substance.
When Billie Eilish declared that no one is illegal on stolen land, critics pointed out the obvious contradiction. She lives in a multimillion dollar estate guarded by private security. If land ownership is illegitimate, why is she not handing over the keys. Virtue is easy when it costs nothing.
Hollywood’s moral theater is not about helping people. It is about signaling status. Proving you belong to the correct side of elite opinion while never having to live with the fallout.
That is why the reaction to Nicki Minaj was so revealing.
Minaj did not wear a pin. She did not chant slogans. She did not follow the script. Instead, she attended the world premiere of Melania at the Kennedy Center, has worked alongside President Trump on Trump Accounts, and openly calls herself his number one fan. She chose independence over approval, and Hollywood is punishing her for it.
During the Grammys, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/article/trevor-noah-grammys-nicki-minaj-kendrick-lamar-79ee508f2e15ec56b2b4826b787b6913">host Trevor Noah turned Minaj into a punchline</a>, joking that she was at the White House with Donald Trump. The audience laughed not because it was clever but because it signaled who was acceptable to mock.
<div id="attachment_1037301" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1037301" class="size-large wp-image-1037301" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258958861-864x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES - FEBRUARY 1: Trevor Noah at The 68th Annual Grammy Awards, broadcasting live Sunday, February 1, 2026 on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+*. (Photo by Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258958861-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258958861-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258958861-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258958861.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images</div>
The hostility did not stop there. At a MusiCares gala, Billy Porter publicly dropped an<a href="https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/markelibert/billy-porter-slams-nicki-minaj-trump-support"> F bomb</a> when asked about Minaj’s political views, declaring shame on her and others like her. In Hollywood, tolerance ends where independent thought begins.
The message was clear. You are free to speak as long as you agree.
Nicki Minaj did not see the light because Hollywood showed her anything new. She saw the truth Americans have known for years. The entertainment industry demands conformity not compassion. Obedience not courage.
Real Americans are tired of being lectured by people who will never pay the price for the policies they promote. They are tired of selective outrage, empty slogans, and celebrities who cry injustice while living lives untouched by its consequences.
The Grammys did not expose ICE. They exposed Hollywood.
And the more celebrities shout, the clearer it becomes. Americans are not rejecting compassion. They are rejecting hypocrisy.
* * *
Janiyah Thomas is a GOP strategist and former Black Media Director for President Trump’s 2024 campaign. She also contributed to the Trump Vance Inauguration media strategy and previously served as Media Relations Director for the Republican National Convention.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

The 68th Annual Grammy Awards

The Grammys Didn’t Expose ICE. It Exposed Hollywood Hypocrisy.

Entertainment

Grammy Awards

Hollywood

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Justin Bieber

Music

Nicki Minaj

Trevor Noah

Illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra was found guilty in 2024 of the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley — but Friday could mark the beginning of a new trial for the convicted killer.
On Friday, a judge will hear oral arguments from Ibarra’s attorneys claiming that their client suffers from a “congenital deficiency” that could make him “incapable of preparing a defense and standing trial.” They also contend he lacked the mental capacity to knowingly waive his right to a trial by jury.
Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard, who rendered the verdict after Ibarra waived his right to a jury trial, will hear the post-conviction arguments. The oral arguments begin about one year after the Laken Riley Act was passed.
President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law in 2025. The legislation requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain illegal immigrants for crimes including burglary, theft, larceny, and shoplifting. The legislation applies to illegal immigrants who have been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or even just admitted to the crimes. If the act had been passed before Laken’s death, under the act, the federal government would have been required to detain Ibarra for a <a href="https://www.majorityleader.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4359">shoplifting citation</a> earlier that year.
If Haggard grants Ibarra a new trial, competency would become the central issue. If Ibarra is found incompetent, he could be committed to a mental health facility for treatment aimed at restoring competency. Discharge from a psychiatric ward could occur if the ward determines he is not considered a danger to himself or others. Haggard is expected to issue a decision within ninety days of hearing the arguments.
If Haggard grants Ibarra a retrial, it would mean revisiting graphic evidence and testimony, forcing Riley’s family and the university community to relive the case in open court.
Jessica Moore was a senior at the University of Georgia when Ibarra took Riley’s life. She told The Daily Wire, “The feeling that loomed over our campus that day was one that students and the victim’s family should never have to feel again, and a new trial would bring it right back.”
CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/laken-riley-murder-final-texts-mother-trial/">reported</a> that during crime scene testimony, members of Riley’s family and others left as body-cam footage played from the officer who found Riley’s body in a wooded area.
Ibarra’s prosecutor, Sheila Ross, stated: “[Ibarra] put on a black hat, a hoodie-style jacket, and some black kitchen-style disposable gloves, and he went hunting for females on the University of Georgia’s campus.”
She added, “When Laken Riley refused to be his rape victim, he bashed her skull in with a rock repeatedly.”
Laken’s death caught national attention when authorities confirmed Jose Ibarra entered the country illegally. At a campaign rally, then-presidential candidate Trump said that Riley “would be alive today if Joe Biden had not willfully and maliciously eviscerated the borders of the United States.”
During Ibarra’s trial, Laken’s mother Allyson Phillips said, “There’s no end to the pain, suffering or loss. On that horrific day, my precious daughter was attacked, beaten, and shown no mercy. … This sick, twisted, evil coward showed no respect of Laken’s life.”

Laken Riley Case Returns To Court As Killer Seeks New Trial

Biden Administration

Courts

Crime

U.S.

Georgia Republican Rep. Mike Collins announced Monday his entrance into the Georgia Senate race, vowing to &#8220;steamroll the radical Left&#8221; and deliver on President Trump&#8217;s America First agenda.
The second-term congressman is challenging Senator Jon Ossoff, who narrowly won his first term in 2020 shortly after the January 6 riots, edging out GOP incumbent Sen. David Perdue in a runoff election. Ossoff is <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-ally-mike-collins-launch-key-battleground-state-bid-flip-democrat-held-senate-seat">seen</a> by many in the GOP as the most vulnerable Senate Democrat incumbent in 2026, as Trump carried the state in 2024, according to Fox News.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know who Jon Ossoff really works for, but it sure as heck isn&#8217;t Georgia,&#8221; Collins says in his campaign launch video posted on X. &#8220;Jon Ossoff does not represent Georgia&#8217;s values and has attacked our state&#8217;s best interests at every opportunity. He&#8217;s voted to raise taxes on Georgia families, supercharge inflation, open our Southern Border, and allow men to play women&#8217;s sports.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I&#8217;m in. <a href="https://t.co/Bxhm4e8jp2">pic.twitter.com/Bxhm4e8jp2</a>
— Mike Collins (@MikeCollinsGA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeCollinsGA/status/1949786569759482010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Collins, a prominent Georgia businessman elected to the House in 2022, is a close ally of President Trump and features audio of the president praising him in his launch video.
&#8220;Mike Collins. Mike, you were fantastic. He loves this state, and he took this very personally,&#8221; Trump says in the clip.
Collins highlights his work on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-laken-riley-act-into-law">Laken Riley Act</a>, legislation that strengthens detention capabilities for federal officials dealing with undocumented immigrants charged with crimes like theft and burglary. The legislation was named after a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant while jogging on the University of Georgia campus in February 2024.
The bill, which Collins sponsored, was the first piece of legislation Trump signed into law during his second term.
Collins, whose family owns a trucking company, promises to &#8220;send a trucker to the U.S. Senate to steamroll the radical left, deliver on President Trump&#8217;s America First agenda, and put the people of Georgia back in the driver&#8217;s seat.&#8221;
Collins enters an increasingly competitive Republican primary. Rep. Buddy Carter has already announced his candidacy, with both candidates <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5423594-gop-primary-georgia-senate/">courting</a> Trump&#8217;s endorsement, according to The Hill. Other candidates, such as former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, are also rumored to be considering a run.
Ossoff has been building a substantial war chest, reporting double-digit fundraising hauls over recent quarters, as he prepares for what will likely be one of the most closely watched Senate contests in 2026, alongside North Carolina, after former Governor Roy Cooper <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-former-gov-roy-cooper-runs-for-senate-turning-north-carolina-into-2026s-key-battleground?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Leftist+Former+Gov+Roy+Cooper+Runs+For+Senate%2C+Turning+North+Carolina+Into+2026%E2%80%99s+Key+Battleground">announced</a> his run on Monday.

WASHINGTON, DC – JAN 09: Representative Mike Collins speaks at

Pro-Trump Rep. Mike Collins Jumps Into Georgia Senate Race To Unseat Leftist Jon Ossoff

2026 Midterms

Brian Kemp

Mike Collins

Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant convicted of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, secured a major court victory last Thursday when a judge ordered a mental evaluation that could lead to a new trial.
Ibarra, 27, was found <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jose-ibarra-found-guilty-of-killing-georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley">guilty</a> in November on 10 charges, including murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with intent to rape Riley, who he murdered after she went jogging at the University of Georgia in Athens.
According to court documents, Ibarra&#8217;s defense attorneys <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/07/us-news/laken-rileys-killer-jose-ibarra-gets-major-win-for-possible-trial-redo/">claimed</a> he &#8220;lacks the mental capacity to understand the nature and object and proceedings&#8221; and is &#8220;suffering from congenital deficiency which could render the client incapable of preparing a defense and standing trial,&#8221; per the New York Post.
Judge Patrick Haggard ordered a &#8220;prompt evaluation&#8221; to determine if Ibarra was fit to stand trial last year and whether he can assist with his current appeal.
“The mental competence of [Ibarra] has been called into question, and this court has found it appropriate for an evaluation to be conducted at the public expense,” the order reads.
Prosecutor Sheila Ross noted in court filings that there was no evidence during the trial suggesting Ibarra wasn&#8217;t mentally competent, though she didn&#8217;t oppose the evaluation and instead left the decision up to the Judge.
Ibarra, a member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, waived his right to a jury trial, and Judge Haggard sentenced the illegal immigrant to life in prison without parole.
Ibarra had illegally entered the United States during the Biden administration&#8217;s border crisis, having been detained in El Paso, Texas, in September 2022, but was released after approximately one day.
Riley&#8217;s brutal murder shocked the University of Georgia campus and garnered national attention amid heated debates about immigration enforcement.
In January, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-laken-riley-act-into-law?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Signs+Laken+Riley+Act+Into+Law">signed</a> into law the “Laken Riley Act,” which requires federal officials to arrest non-U.S. nationals accused of violent and theft-related crimes in the United States.
Ibarra had been previously arrested for other offenses, but he was released in New York before federal authorities could issue a detainer.
The mental evaluation is set to take place either at the Georgia Department of Corrections or at a designated hospital facility. No timeline has been established for when the evaluation results might be available or how quickly the court will rule on potential next steps.
If the mental evaluation finds Ibarra was not competent during his original trial, his defense team could petition for a retrial, potentially setting aside his life sentence and reopening wounds for Riley&#8217;s family and community.

Judge Grants Laken Riley’s Killer A Path To Possible Retrial

Murder

News

On Thursday night at a CNN town hall, a Democratic congresswoman said she regretted voting for the Laken Riley Act, adding, “immigrants across this country who are here legally and have followed the law are being terrorized right now.”
The Laken Riley Act <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requires</a> the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain illegal immigrants who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. It also authorizes states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement. The legislation was named after Laken Riley, who was a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student murdered in February 2024 by a 26-year-old Venezuelan illegal immigrant while she was jogging.
Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT) responded to a question posed by a member of the audience initially directed to Rep. Derek Tran (D-CA), who said he was concerned about the Laken Riley Act, which he said “begs the question of whether due process exists still in America.”
&#8220;So, given your background, both as an attorney and also the son of immigrants like myself, what made you vote yes on that? he asked Tran.
Tran said the Laken Riley Act &#8220;made sense&#8221; and &#8220;that when you commit a crime, you should be deported.&#8221;
Hayes disagreed with Tran&#8217;s assessment and stated, “I understand your concerns, and I understand how immigrants across this country who are here legally and have followed the law are being terrorized right now because they are unsure of what happens next,” the congresswoman said. “I voted for that piece of legislation because of a very specific provision, and it was if it caused injury or death to a police officer, which was one small piece of it.”
“As I have thought about it over the last couple months, I probably would have voted differently,” she continued. “It&#8217;s a vote that I regret. But, coming into this Congress, I trusted that this administration, we would have some &#8212; that they wanted to have border security, they wanted to work with Democrats, that we could actually move forward.”
She then attacked the Trump administration, saying, “I&#8217;m not really sure of that, because I have seen the rhetoric that has come out and the attacks that have been targeted towards immigrants. So I am very cautious and careful when I&#8217;m negotiating my votes moving forward.”
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Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes said during our town hall tonight that she regrets voting for the Laken Riley Act. <a href="https://t.co/tFEP0ReBUN">pic.twitter.com/tFEP0ReBUN</a>
&mdash; Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1910530619500638332?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Dem Regrets Voting For Laken Riley Act, Says Immigrants ‘Terrorized’ By Trump Admin

Congress

illegal immigrants

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump delivered an uplifting and positive joint address on Tuesday night, one that will be remembered for its emotional moments highlighting Americans present at the address.
The president&#8217;s speech ran almost two hours long, setting a record for the longest presidential address to Congress in history. Trump wove in personal stories about Americans throughout a discourse on his administration&#8217;s accomplishments thus far, and made promises for the future.
&#8220;Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the Golden Age of America,&#8221; Trump said as he opened his remarks. &#8220;From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country. We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplish in four years or eight years — and we are just getting started.&#8221;
&#8220;I return to this chamber tonight to report that America’s momentum is back,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Our spirit is back. Our pride is back. Our confidence is back. And the American Dream is surging—bigger and better than ever before. The American Dream is unstoppable, and our country is on the verge of a comeback the likes of which the world has never witnessed, and perhaps will never witness again.&#8221;
Democrats repeatedly attempted to disrupt the address, until House Speaker Mike Johnson called the room to order, ultimately directing the House Sergeant At Arms to remove Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas from the chamber for interrupting Trump&#8217;s speech.
The president&#8217;s speech touched on all of his major campaign promises, touting many of the items he has already taken action on thus far. He highlighted January Littlejohn, a mother who rescued her daughter from gender ideology. He mentioned the family of Laken Riley, a girl brutally killed by an illegal immigrant. He honored Corey Comperatore, the father and firefighter who was shot and killed by the man who attempted to assassinate Trump at a Butler, Pennsylvania rally over the summer.
Trump also surprised multiple people present at the joint address with good news: in an emotional moment, he told 13-year-old brain cancer survivor DJ Daniels that he could become a member of the Secret Service. The little boy&#8217;s eyes widened in surprise when he heard the news, and he threw his arms around the beaming Secret Service director for a long hug.
In another emotional moment, the president broke the news to a young boy, Jason Hartley, who lost his police officer father at a young age, that he had been admitted into West Point, his dream school.
<div id="attachment_887165" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/president-trump-touts-accomplishments-in-powerful-address-americas-momentum-is-back/president-trump-delivers-first-address-to-joint-session-of-congress-2" rel="attachment wp-att-887165"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-887165" class="wp-image-887165 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202767596-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202767596-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202767596-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202767596-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202767596-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202767596-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202767596-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202767596-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>(Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)</div>
Trump also pointed to polls showing that Americans are feeling more positive about where the country is headed.
&#8220;Now, for the first time in modern history, more Americans believe that our country is headed in the RIGHT direction than the WRONG direction — an astonishing record 27-point swing since Election Day alone,&#8221; Trump said.
&#8220;Likewise, small business optimism saw its single largest one-month gain ever recorded—a 41-point jump. Over the past six weeks, I have signed nearly 100 Executive Orders and taken more than 400 Executive Actions to restore COMMON SENSE, safety, optimism, and wealth all across our wonderful land. The people elected me to do the job, and I am doing it. In fact, it has been stated by many that the first month of our presidency is the most successful in the history of our nation.&#8221;
Trump also spoke about reciprocal tariffs, noting that &#8220;Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we tax them.&#8221;
On immigration, he argued that his administration &#8220;has launched the most sweeping border and immigration crackdown in American history — and we quickly achieved the lowest numbers of illegal border crossers ever recorded.&#8221;
&#8220;The media and our friends in the Democrat Party kept saying we needed new legislation to secure the border—but it turned out that all we really needed was a new president,&#8221; Trump added.
On Ukraine, Trump said he has worked &#8220;tirelessly&#8221; to end the &#8220;savage conflict&#8221;  in which &#8220;millions of Ukrainians and Russians have been needlessly killed or wounded&#8221; with no end in sight.
&#8220;The United States has sent hundreds of billions of dollars to support Ukraine’s defense,&#8221; the president said, eliciting one of the only moments of applause from Democrats in the crowd, who remained seated for even the positive stories of guests in the crowd. &#8220;Meanwhile, Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine – by far! And Biden has authorized more money in this fight than Europe has spent.&#8221;
The immediate reaction to Trump&#8217;s speech was overwhelmingly positive. &#8220;I have not clapped that much, in total in my entire life, as I did in the room,&#8221; said Daily Wire host Matt Walsh, who was in the room for the address as a guest of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-CONGRESS

President Trump Touts Accomplishments In Powerful Address: ‘America’s Momentum Is Back’

Transgender

Border Czar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tom-homan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tom Homan</a> responded on Wednesday to President Donald Trump signing the Laken Riley Act into law, telling Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum that it would have prevented needless bloodshed if such a measure had been put in place earlier.
Homan was present at the signing ceremony for the new bipartisan legislation — named for the brutally-murdered Georgia nursing student Laken Riley — which will compel federal authorities to arrest and detain non-citizens who have been charged with, convicted of, or admitted to violent or theft-related crimes.
Following the ceremony, he spoke with MacCallum about what he expected to see change as it was implemented.
WATCH:
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Border Czar Tom Homan on the Laken Riley Act: &quot;If you&#39;re in the country illegally and you get arrested for a crime, you have to detain them. It&#39;s no longer an option. If this was in effect during the Biden administration, you wouldn&#39;t have seen criminal aliens released every day&quot; <a href="https://t.co/DFxrQN2ziU">pic.twitter.com/DFxrQN2ziU</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1884703006429450311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Obviously an emotional time for her family and for families like hers that you have had too much experience with,&#8221; MacCallum began, asking, &#8220;What changes with this act? What does it allow law enforcement to do, Tom?&#8221;
&#8220;Look, it&#8217;s required for DHS to actually detain these people,&#8221; Homan replied. &#8220;So if you commit — if you&#8217;re in the country illegally and you get arrested for a crime, you have to detain them. It&#8217;s no longer an option. If this was in effect during the Biden administration, you wouldn&#8217;t have seen criminal aliens being released every day — by the hundreds every day.&#8221;
&#8220;So this is going to be — this is a statute, this is a law, you&#8217;ve got to detain these people, it&#8217;s the right thing to do, to protect people,&#8221; Homan continued. &#8220;It&#8217;s a game changer, this is going to be a very effective action to keep our streets safer from — starting day one.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/laken-rileys-mother-gives-tearful-remarks-after-trump-signs-law-named-for-late-daughter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Laken Riley&#8217;s mother</a> and others were also on hand when Trump signed the act into law, and she thanked the president for being a man of his word. She also noted that while no legislation would ever bring back her daughter, the passage of the Laken Riley Act meant that others might be saved from what she had gone through.

Tom Homan

Homan Responds To Trump Signing Laken Riley Act: ‘It’s No Longer An Option’

Homan Responds To Trump Signing Laken Riley Act: 'It's No Longer An Option'

Joe Biden

Media

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/laken-riley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Laken Riley</a>’s mother Allyson Phillips wept as she thanked President Donald Trump for keeping his promises and honoring the memory of her daughter with the passage of the “Laken Riley Act.”
During a ceremony at the White House on Wednesday, Trump signed into law the bipartisan bill, written after Laken, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student, was killed in February of 2024 by an illegal alien. The bill requires federal officials to arrest non-citizens accused of violent and theft-related crimes in the United States, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-laken-riley-act-into-law">reported</a>.
Phillips and President Trump shared an embrace before she took to the podium and spoke emotionally about the passage of the act and her daughter’s legacy.
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Laken Riley’s mother weeps as she thanks President Trump for keeping his promises and honoring the memory of her daughter: <a href="https://t.co/HhxPIpmhzq">pic.twitter.com/HhxPIpmhzq</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1884689786323042517?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
“Our family will forever be grateful for the prayers of the people across our nation and for helping to get this legislation into law,” Phillips’ <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1884689786323042517">said</a>. “We also want to thank President Trump for the promises he made to us. He said he would secure our borders and that he would never forget about Laken.”
She then began to break down, tearing up as she described the president as a “man of his word” and said, “We trust that he will fight for the American people.”
“Most importantly, I want to thank our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ because, without his sacrifices, Laken’s story would’ve ended on that horrific day that she was taken from us,” Allyson said through tears. “But because of Him, we can continue living knowing that we will see Laken again.”
“There is no amount of change that will ever bring back our precious Laken,” she added while trying to hold back tears. “Our hope, moving forward, is that her life saves lives.”
“We are so thankful that her passion for helping others and her legacy for doing good in the name of Jesus Christ will carry on,” Phillips continued. “Thank you.”
The immigration legislation was passed through both the GOP-led House and Senate with bipartisan support. It is the first <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5">bill</a> that Trump has signed into law during his nascent second term in the White House. Under the law, federal officials are directed to detain non-citizens charged with, convicted of, or who admit to theft-related or violent offenses. It also authorizes states to sue over federal immigration actions.
During the signing, Trump promised the family that “we will keep Laken’s memory alive in our hearts forever.”
“Everyone’s hearts,” he added. “With today’s action, her name will also live forever in the laws of our country. And this is a very important law. This is something that has brought Democrats and Republicans together — that’s not easy to do. Laken did it. Laken did it. America will never, ever forget Laken Hope Riley.”
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this piece.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-revamped-laken-riley-act-sends-bill-to-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Passes Revamped Laken Riley Act, Sends Bill To Trump</a>

Laken Riley Act

Laken Riley’s Mother Gives Tearful Remarks After Trump Signs Law Named For Late Daughter

Border Crisis

House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

On Wednesday, President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> signed into law the &#8220;Laken Riley Act,&#8221; a bill that requires federal officials to arrest non-U.S. nationals accused of violent and theft-related crimes in the United States.
The immigration legislation was passed through the GOP-led House and Senate with bipartisan support. It is the first <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a> that Trump has signed into law during his nascent second term in the White House. Under the law, the Homeland Security Department is directed to detain &#8220;certain aliens&#8221; charged with, convicted of, or who admit to certain theft-related or violent offenses. It also authorizes states to sue over immigration enforcement.
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🚨 Trump signs the Laken Riley Act, his first bill signed into law as the 47th President. <a href="https://t.co/dZECmVaY34">pic.twitter.com/dZECmVaY34</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1884693754264646012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Laken Riley was a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was killed last year. An illegal immigrant from Venezuela, Jose Ibarra, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jose-ibarra-found-guilty-of-killing-georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> of murdering Riley and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley-immigrant-d8d75ccc6d81e7a88eb7890829d9fc9c#:~:text=The%20killing%20added%20fuel%20to,entered%20the%20U.S.%20in%202022.&amp;text=The%20Venezuelan%20man%20convicted%20in,without%20the%20possibility%20of%20parole." target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> to life in prison. Amid the ensuing national outcry, it was <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/crime/jose-ibarra-accused-killer-laken-riley-georgia-immigration-system/85-0294133e-f5e1-4e2f-a2df-ab017b498508" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that Ibarra had been previously arrested for other offenses, but he was released in New York before federal authorities could issue a detainer.
&#8220;To Laken&#8217;s family, we will keep Laken&#8217;s memory alive in our hearts forever,&#8221; Trump said at a signing ceremony at the White House. &#8220;Everyone&#8217;s hearts. With today&#8217;s action, her name will also live forever in the laws of our country. And this is a very important law. This is something that has brought Democrats and Republicans together &#8212; that&#8217;s not easy to do. Laken did it. Laken did it. America will never, ever forget Laken Hope Riley.&#8221;
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&quot;Laken&#39;s name will live forever in the laws of our country.
America will never, ever forget Laken Hope Riley.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> <a href="https://t.co/87v2cox691">pic.twitter.com/87v2cox691</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1884688952323453200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Border czar <a href="https://x.com/JohnCornyn/status/1884678072634392814" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tom Homan</a>, Homeland Security Secretary <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1884680903365988354" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kristi Noem</a>, GOP lawmakers, and Sen. <a href="https://x.com/JacquiHeinrich/status/1884680923595047347" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Fetterman</a> (D-PA) were in attendance, as were members of Riley&#8217;s family. The Daily Wire&#8217;s Mary Margaret Olohan recorded video of Riley&#8217;s mother weeping as she delivered remarks, thanking Trump and the lawmakers who sponsored the bill.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Laken Riley’s mother weeps as she thanks President Trump for keeping his promises and honoring the memory of her daughter: <a href="https://t.co/HhxPIpmhzq">pic.twitter.com/HhxPIpmhzq</a>
&mdash; Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1884689786323042517?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On the campaign trail last year, Trump <a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/news/679207dd-267f-4416-a2d7-41941d3f2e9e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met</a> with family and friends of Riley. He also posted on social media when Ibarra was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jose-ibarra-found-guilty-of-killing-georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> in November on 10 charges, including murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with intent to rape Riley. &#8220;JUSTICE FOR LAKEN RILEY!,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/remove-these-criminals-and-thugs-trump-responds-after-laken-rileys-killer-is-convicted" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exclaimed</a>, adding that it was &#8220;time to secure our Border, and remove these criminals and thugs from our Country, so nothing like this can happen again!&#8221;
The &#8220;Laken Riley Act&#8221; initially focused solely on theft-related crimes for the detention requirement, in addition to empowering states to sue over alleged immigration infractions. Both chambers of Congress ultimately passed the bill with GOP amendments that added violent offenses, including assault of a police officer, to the detention section.
Although the legislation received bipartisan support, Democrat opponents warned that non-citizens simply accused of crimes might not get <a href="https://x.com/RepRashida/status/1882187953847611832" target="_blank" rel="noopener">due process</a> if it became law and that it would be a boon to private prisons.

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