This Friday, the trial of an illegal immigrant opens in the southeast of the United States for the murder in February of a student, a case extensively exploited by Donald Trump in his campaign to denounce, according to him, laxity at the borders. José Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan, faces ten charges, including homicide and aggravated assault with intent to rape, and faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
He is accused of killing Laken Riley, a 22-year-old student who was jogging in Athens (Georgia), where the trial takes place, in February. The affair shocked this student city and then took on a national dimension, when the Republicans demanded that Joe Biden present «excuses» to the family of Laken Riley. They accused the Democratic president of having allowed this murder by adopting, according to them, a lax border control policy.
“Laken Riley would be alive today if Joe Biden had not deliberately and sneakily torn up the borders”declared Donald Trump, his then rival for the presidential election, in a speech. The Republican candidate then met the victim's parents and mentioned his name at the Republican Party convention. During his campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly lashed out against illegal immigrants who, according to him, “poison the blood” of his country, and promised to reestablish a policy of family separation at the border. Since his victory in the presidential election on November 5, the Republican has appointed several hard-liners on immigration to key positions, with a view to keeping his promise of mass expulsions.
