ATHENS, Ga. — A Georgia campus is ringing in a somber anniversary.
It’s been exactly two years since Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was killed as she jogged on University of Georgia’s campus in Athens.
Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan immigrant here without documentation, was convicted in her killing in 2024 and sentenced him to life in prison without parole.
He has since requested a new trial.
A federal law named after Riley requires federal officials to detain immigrants without legal status accused of theft and violent crimes.
The act also creates a provision for state and District of Columbia attorneys general to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures in immigration enforcement, according to the legislative text.
The Laken Riley Act was enacted in 2025.
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