The mother and stepfather of Laken Riley—the 22-year-old nursing student slain by an illegal alien in Georgia whose death prompted bipartisan legislation to toughen penalties for illegal aliens charged with certain crimes—have endorsed Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., in his bid for U.S. Senate.
“A lot of people go to Washington, and it changes them. However, in the short time that we have known him, Mike Collins went to Washington and changed it. There is simply no one else in this race who deserves to be in the U.S. Senate more than Mike Collins. He is someone who says what he means, means what he says, and actually delivers results that matter,” Allyson Riley and John Phillips were quoted as saying Monday in a statement.
Collins, running to be the GOP challenger to unseat incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., was the sponsor of the Laken Riley Act in the House of Representatives. Collins faces a Republican primary that also includes Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., and former college football coach Derek Dooley, who is supported by Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
The Laken Riley Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump in January, directs U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to arrest and detain illegal aliens charged with assaulting a police officer, theft, and other crimes.
Riley’s convicted killer, Jose Antonio Ibarra, had been cited for shoplifting and charged with the offense of acting in a manner to injure a child under 17 just months before taking Riley’s life on Feb. 22, 2024. He had also been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after crossing the border illegally in 2022. Ibarra was then released into the U.S. under a Biden administration policy in place at the time that allowed illegal aliens to temporarily remain in the country.
“Mike Collins has the honor, integrity, work ethic, and track record to represent all Georgians well in the U.S. Senate. What Mike did for our family wasn’t about politics, and it wasn’t about attention or the spotlight. He stood up to do what was right and help bring justice for our sweet Laken,” Riley’s family members’ statement added.
Collins spearheaded the legislation that ultimately passed the House with the support of 46 Democrats and 217 Republicans. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 64-35, with 12 Democrat senators joining Republican members to secure its passage.
“The Biden administration and our current [Georgia Democrat] senators voted for open borders that allowed Laken’s killer to come to the United States. They were looking out for illegal aliens instead of looking out for their own constituents. Next November, please join us in supporting our friend Mike Collins and give him the ability to create policies that will ensure the safety and protection of all Georgia’s sons and daughters,” the family’s statement concluded.
