The mayor of the Georgia community in which 22-year-old Laken Riley was murdered is taking heat from residents who believe toleration of illegal immigrants helped set the stage for Riley’s murder.
Riley was killed Feb. 22 on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, Georgia. Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, a suspect in the case and an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, has been arrested in connection with her death.
Kelly Girtz, mayor of Athens and a Democrat, was loudly criticized Wednesday by protesters over a 2019 resolution in which the government welcomed “people from all lands and backgrounds,” including illegal immigrants, according to Fox News.
Parent James Lee, who was among the protesters, said he was “outraged” that a murder was committed so close to his home and blamed Girtz.
“This mayor is a left-wing nut job, into wokeism,” Lee said.
“This mayor has violated his oath of office. He is supposed to protect Athenians, citizens of Athens, not protect illegal criminal aliens,” he said.
Lee said the outpouring of criticism against Girtz was spontaneous.
“I was surprised. I was ready to be dragged away, because I was gonna say what I was gonna say,” Lee said.
Georgians call for the resignation of Athens-Clarke County mayor at this morning’s press conference.
“Liar!” “Resign!” pic.twitter.com/pgTvctL4FM
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) February 28, 2024
Should the mayor step down?
“I was mad and upset over this senseless murder, and to my surprise, there were a lot of supporters. I didn’t know them at all, we met for the first time and they spoke up with me,” he said.
The pain of losing a child through murder is beyond comprehension, Lee said.
“I can’t imagine what this father is going through, losing his young daughter who had her whole life ahead of her,” he said. “If that was my daughter, I think I would have done a little bit more today in that meeting. That mayor would have had a black eye walking out of there.”
During the combative event, Girtz said there were “no policies adopted by the mayor or (county) commission that created a sanctuary city status in Athens” and said “many aspects ascribed to sanctuary cities are things that are disallowed by Georgia law,” according to WXIA-TV.
The resolution said local government “is welcoming to people from all lands and backgrounds and strives to foster a community where individuals and families of all statuses feel safe, are able to prosper and can breathe free.”
The resolution said that “our immigrant and undocumented neighbors, especially those of Latinx heritage, face daily fears and threats from individuals and institutions such as ICE.”
Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Saulters said his department works with immigration authorities when they want a hold placed on someone who is arrested.
But that’s not what the county sheriff said would happen when he campaigned for office, according to the New York Post.
“It is not my intention, when elected sheriff, to cooperate with those detainers,” Athens-Clarke County Sheriff John Williams said, referring to requests to hold arrested individuals, during a 2020 interview.
