Lawmakers demand DHS info on brothers of Laken Riley’s accused killer

(NewsNation) — Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee are requesting information from the Department of Homeland Security about two brothers of Jose Ibarra, the suspect accused of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley.

NewsNation obtained a letter from Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., the chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security and Enforcement, sent to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas seeking documents about Ibarra’s brothers Diego Ibarra, 28, and Argenis Ibarra, 24.

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the brothers first illegally entered the U.S. near Eagle Pass, Texas on April 3, 2023, and were expelled. They then entered again on April 30, 2023, and were arrested. Diego Ibarra was released on Alternatives to Detain (ATD), while ICE released Argenis Ibarra with a notice to appear in immigration court.

“Criminal aliens exploit vulnerabilities in our nation’s immigration system to the detriment of those in the United States. The Biden administration’s border and immigration policies only increase the likelihood that criminal aliens will successfully enter and remain in the U.S. Pursuant to the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to conduct oversight of federal immigration policy and procedures,” the letter to DHS said.

Jordan and McClintock wrote in the letter they want information on Diego and Argenis Ibarra’s immigration cases and history; the time, date and place of all their entries into the U.S.; their processing by CBP; whether ICE lodged a detainer against them; and any dates they were on Alternatives to Detention.

On Feb. 23, 2024, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Atlanta came into contact with Argenis Ibarra while investigating Riley’s death in Athens, Georgia. ICE took Ibarra into custody pending an investigation into his case.

He was taken into custody at the same time as his older brothers, Jose and Diego Ibarra, following the death of Riley, a nursing student who was killed while running on a trail.

Jose Ibarra, 26, is being held without bond for murder and other crimes related to Riley’s death.

Diego Ibarra, 28, is being held on charges of possessing a fake green card and is being held in custody after being deemed a flight risk.

Both Jose and Diego Ibarra are being held in the Clarke County Jail in Georgia, while Argenis Ibarra is being held in an ICE detention facility.