Hawley slams Dem activist for downplaying migrant crime: 'Not an actual issue?'

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., drilled into a migrant rights activistic successful a heated infinitesimal during a Senate proceeding connected the "Remain successful Mexico" policy connected Thursday for what helium said amounted to downplaying the murder of Laken Riley and for saying migrant transgression is "not an existent issue."

"In March of 2024, you wrote: ‘The execution of a nursing pupil successful Georgia has a batch of radical connected the close talking astir migrant transgression similar it's an existent issue,’" said Hawley. 

Riley was a 22-year-old nursing pupil astatine Augusta University who was recovered dormant connected the University of Georgia's field successful February. Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old amerciable immigrant, was recovered blameworthy of 10 full counts, including felony murder. He initially pleaded not blameworthy but was yet sentenced to beingness without the anticipation of parole successful November.

"Here's Laken Riley," said Hawley arsenic her representation was posted down him. "Her murder, her horrific execution astatine the hands of this amerciable migrant who was besides unlawfully paroled successful the United States. [Is] her decease not an existent issue?"

LAKEN RILEY ACT OVERCOMES FILIBUSTER IN SENATE AS DEMS GIVE GOP HELPING HAND

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., questions a Democrat-invited adept connected his statements astir Laken Riley's execution during a proceeding connected the "Remain successful Mexico" argumentation by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee successful Washington, D.C. connected Thursday. (Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs livestream)

The activist, Adam Isacson, who works arsenic manager of defence oversight astatine the Washington Office connected Latin America, responded by saying: "Of people it’s an issue, it’s a tragedy."

"I didn’t accidental that Laken Riley’s decease was not an existent issue, I said that migrant transgression is not an existent issue," said Isacson. "Migrant transgression is overmuch little of an contented than U.S. citizen-committed crime."

To which Hawley answered, "[Riley] is dormant due to the fact that of migrant crime."

Hawley besides pointed to the lawsuit of a St. Louis-area 12-year-old named Travis Wolfe who was killed successful a car clang involving an amerciable immigrant.

"I hap to deliberation that their convulsive murders are existent issues," helium said. "And the information that you would accidental otherwise, beryllium present and counsel the Senate that the Laken Riley Act is simply a atrocious idea, that the full happening is not an existent issue, it’s each just, what, made up? I deliberation [it] is outrageous. I deliberation it's perfectly outrageous."

SENATE DEMS TO JOIN REPUBLICANS TO ADVANCE ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BILL NAMED AFTER LAKEN RILEY

The GOP's Laken Riley Act bushed the filibuster with the assistance of immoderate Democrats. (Reuters)

Isacson, who said helium was invited to attest successful the proceeding by a Democratic subordinate of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said that the bipartisan Laken Riley Act, which has already passed successful the House and would necessitate ICE to apprehension and detain amerciable immigrants that person committed a crime, "could bash a batch of harm" and "would let maine to say: ‘oh, this idiosyncratic shoplifted.’ And that would beryllium capable probable origin to get idiosyncratic deported."

Hawley changeable back: "I privation the grounds to beryllium wide connected this, that migrant transgression is simply a existent issue."

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"I deliberation the Laken Riley Act is perfectly necessary," helium said. "In fact, I suggest an amendment to the Laken Riley Act that volition screen radical similar Travis Wolfe. I deliberation that ICE ought to beryllium detaining, ought to beryllium required to detain, those amerciable migrants who perpetrate convulsive crimes against children similar Travis Wolfe."

Speaking to Fox News Digital aft the hearing, different 1 of the experts testifying, Andrew Arthur, a erstwhile migration justice and instrumentality and argumentation adept astatine the Center for Immigration Studies, said that Hawley was "voicing the vexation that precise galore Americans consciousness astir migrant transgression successful the United States."

FOX NEWS POLL: MAJORITIES SUPPORT MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN BORDER SECURITY AS THE ISSUE INCREASES IN IMPORTANCE

Migrants astatine the confederate borderline are encountered successful Arizona. (U.S. Border Patrol)

"We've seen galore not lone precocious illustration but shocking crimes that person been carried retired successful the United States by migrants who were stopped astatine the borderline and past released into the United States," helium said. "It's called the Department of Homeland Security for a reason; the intent of this section is to guarantee that citizens of the United States and aliens who are lawfully present are protected from transgression predation. Unfortunately, connected this astatine the border, the Biden-Harris medication dropped the ball."

"Individuals who are criminals, who by instrumentality should not beryllium allowed into the United States astatine all, were really released into this state and present they are escaped to prey connected some migrant and national communities successful this country," Arthur added. "So, occupation 1 for Tom Homan — Donald Trump's borderline czar — and the president himself is going to beryllium rounding up, detaining and removing each the transgression aliens, each the individuals who are preying upon some migrant and national communities successful this country."

Despite the theatrics, Arthur said it was a "good hearing" due to the fact that determination was "a batch of bipartisan statement connected the request to unafraid the border." 

ARIZONA RANCHER SUFFERING IN DEMS' BORDER CRISIS SAYS TRUMP DHS PICK NOEM SHOULD IMMEDIATELY DO 4 THINGS

In this August 2019 photo, migrants — galore of whom were returned to Mexico nether the Trump administration's "Remain successful Mexico" argumentation — hold successful enactment to get a repast successful an encampment adjacent the Gateway International Bridge successful Matamoros, Mexico. (AP)

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"Customs and Border Protection referred to Remain successful Mexico arsenic indispensable for borderline information the archetypal clip that it was utilized nether the Trump administration," helium said. "I deliberation that erstwhile you look astatine the magnitude of wealth that has flowed into the cartels' pockets implicit the past 4 years, you know, arsenic we've seen, 8 million, 10 cardinal radical travel unlawfully into the United States and you opposition that to the fig of radical who were sent backmost to Mexico, I deliberation that the equilibrium is decidedly successful favour of enforcing the borderline and perchance re-implementing Remain successful Mexico.

"As agelong arsenic the migrants proceed to travel to the United States successful ample numbers, the cartels are going to get rich, they're conscionable going to grow their capabilities and they're conscionable going to vessel much drugs into the United States."