Josh Hawley alleges Alejandro Mayorkas illegally paroled Laken Riley’s killer

Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley alleged that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas released Laken Riley’s killer, Jose Antonio Ibarra, citing that there was no space to hold him. Hawley appeared before the Senate on Thursday, April 18, and read parts of Ibarra’s confidential immigration file. He exposed the fact that Homeland Security released Ibarra on parole.
“Now we all know that the reason he was paroled into this country is because of lack of detention capacity, which you and I both know is not a valid reason,” Hawley told Mayorkas.
The file disclosed by the senator stated that Ibarra, who entered the US illegally in September 2022, was paroled. He appeared before immigration authorities in New York only in July 2023. When he provided his fingerprints, it was determined that he had a criminal record. In the past, he had been “charged with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation,” the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement had previously said.
“He had a criminal record to start with, he’s in the country on illegal grounds, you have falsely and illegally allowed him in, he commits a crime against a child, it’s expunged,” Hawley said.
Hawley revealed that Ibarra applied for a permit to work in the US illegally in November. The Department of Homeland Security approved this in December, despite knowing about his criminal record.
Hawley also took to X to express his anger over the issue, writing, “Here’s the truth. Mayorkas illegally paroled Laken Riley’s killer into the US. He had a criminal record. He then committed a crime against a child in New York. No prosecution. In fact, HE GOT A WORK PERMIT. And then he killed Laken. Mayorkas knew *all* this. He lied about it”.
Riley was found dead near a lake, having been allegedly killed by Ibarra while she was out jogging at the University of Georgia in Athens. The 22-year-old Augusta University nursing school student died from “blunt force trauma.” Ibarra was subsequently charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another person.