Multiple House committee chairmen demanded Tuesday that the Biden administration come clean over how Jose Antonio Ibarra came to the U.S., why authorities caught and released him, and why he was still free when a Georgia nursing student was killed.
Mr. Ibarra has been charged with murder in the death of Laken Hope Riley.
The House Homeland Security Committee and the House Judiciary Committee both directed Homeland Security to cough up Mr. Ibarra’s immigration history after the deportation agency acknowledged he was caught at the border in 2022, was released, then arrested in New York City last year, and then released again by local officials.
“Laken Riley should be alive today,” said Rep. Mark Green, Tennessee Republican and chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.
The lawmakers said Homeland Security must turn the documents over quickly, and they said subpoenas would quickly follow if the department stonewalls.
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan had to issue a subpoena last week to the Health and Human Services Department in a battle over access to the files of illegal immigrants who came as children and who now stand accused of horrific crimes.
Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee also demanded Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas release Mr. Ibarra’s case file quickly.
In particular, they asked Mr. Mayorkas to justify Mr. Ibarra’s release under “parole,” a special power the secretary has to grant migrants who lack a visa a temporary pass into the country outside of the usual immigration system.
The power is supposed to be reserved for urgent humanitarian cases or instances where the U.S. derives a “significant public benefit” from release.
Mr. Mayorkas has welcomed more than 1.5 million illegal immigrants under parole.
In addition to Mr. Ibarra, who is charged at the state level, federal authorities have also charged his brother, Diego Ibarra, with using a fake immigration document. Diego Ibarra snuck into the U.S. last year and quickly notched three arrests, including driving under the influence of alcohol, shoplifting and failure to appear.
Diego Ibarra was released because he said he wanted to pursue an asylum claim. The brothers are from Venezuela.
The immigration debate was already roiling the country but Ms. Riley’s killing has put a new point on it, following the beating of two New York City cops last month by a migrant mob.
In New York, Mayor Eric Adams said the city should rethink its sanctuary policy that restricts cooperation with federal deportation authorities.
And in Maryland, Montgomery County officials scheduled a meeting to talk with the deportation agency after several high-profile instances of its own sanctuary policy protecting illegal immigrants with criminal records.
Immigrant rights activists complained Tuesday about the shift in the debate.
“An individual committed this crime, and that individual must be brought to justice. At the same time, elected officials and candidates should not use this heartbreaking case for political ends or to generate fear,” said Jennie Murray, president and CEO of the National Immigration Forum. “We need leaders who will bring us together, not sow division.”