Democrat Katie Porter sparks anger by saying 22-year-old Laken Riley’s death should NOT impact border policy as illegal migrant sits in jail accused of murder
Rep. Katie Porter, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in California, said Monday evening that the death of 22-year-old Laken Riley “should not define our overall immigration policy.”
26-year-old undocumented Venezuelan immigrant Jose Ibarra is accused of using a mysterious object to kill Riley as she jogged on the University of Georgia campus Thursday.
The brutal killing, which left Riley with a deformed skull, has enraged immigration hardliners, including former President Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination.
During an interview Thursday evening with CNN’s Erin Burnett, the journalist asked Porter, a liberal Democrat, whether she shared Trump’s outrage over Riley’s death.
“Well, I think when a terrible tragedy like this happens, I think when we deal with violent crimes, there is a sense of outrage, sadness and loss,
Representative Katie Porter (right), a Democratic candidate for the US Senate in California, told CNN’s Erin Burnett (left) on Monday evening that the death of 22-year-old Laken Riley “should not define our overall immigration policy.”
“But I think the most important thing to focus on is that no single case should shape our overall immigration policy, which has so many different facets, including economic choices about what to allow workers and how we create prosperity in America Porter continued.
The murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley has roiled immigration hardliners after the suspect was identified as 26-year-old undocumented Venezuelan immigrant Jose Ibarra
“The situation is tragic and it’s a loss, and it’s important to recognize that, but also to recognize how all the other parts of immigration policy fit together,” the Democratic Senate hopeful added.
Some Republican accounts on X – including the popular RNCResearch account – highlights Porter’s comments as being out of touch, and another example of a Democrat minimizing the immigration problem.
Porter’s political future will be put to a vote next week.
California voters go to the polls as part of Super Tuesday, where California Republicans can choose between Trump and his remaining rival, the former UN ambassador. Nikki Haley.
But for the Senate race, the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to the November general election.
Rep. Adam Schiff, the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a top Trump political target, has led the Democratic group in fundraising and polling.
Porter and Republican Steve Garvey are battling for second place – and a ticket to the general election.
Garvey is a former Major League Baseball star and could be helped by the fact that the Democratic nomination is not up for grabs, while Republicans will be motivated to run for Trump or Haley next Tuesday.
Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee is also in the Senate race.
Both Trump and President Joe Biden will go to Texas border cities on Thursday to investigate what is happening on the ground.
Trump launched his 2016 campaign talking about illegal immigration and building a wall.
It remains a powerful political issue for voters heading into this election cycle, DailyMail.com found during voter interviews in the early primaries.