{"id":2214383,"date":"2024-04-06T12:34:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-06T16:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/emails-reveal-georgia-officials-scrambled-to-defend-sanctuary-policies-following-laken-rileys-murder\/"},"modified":"2024-04-06T12:37:02","modified_gmt":"2024-04-06T16:37:02","slug":"emails-reveal-georgia-officials-scrambled-to-defend-sanctuary-policies-following-laken-rileys-murder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/emails-reveal-georgia-officials-scrambled-to-defend-sanctuary-policies-following-laken-rileys-murder\/","title":{"rendered":"Georgia Officials Rush to Defend Sanctuary Policies After Laken Riley&#8217;s Murder, Revealed in Emails"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Femails-reveal-georgia-officials-scrambled-to-defend-sanctuary-policies-following-laken-rileys-murder%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2214383&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Following the tragic murder of Laken Riley in Athens, Georgia, an email exchange \u2062surfaced\u200d between Mayor Kelly Girtz and Sheriff John Williams. The \u2064emails revealed a defense of the county&#8217;s policy against honoring ICE detainer\u200b requests. The discussion highlighted\u2064 tensions around sanctuary policies and law enforcement&#8217;s response to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/illegal-immigrant-arrested-with-handcuffs-of-deputy-hes-accused-of-killing\/\" title=\"Illegal Immigrant Arrested With Handcuffs of Deputy He\u2019s Accused of Killing\">illegal immigration concerns<\/a>.\u2063 After\u200d the heartbreaking murder of Laken Riley in Athens,\u200c Georgia, an email exchange came to light between Mayor Kelly Girtz and Sheriff John\u2063 Williams. These emails \u2062uncovered \u200dtheir support for the county&#8217;s policy of not honoring \u2064ICE detainer \u2062requests, shedding light on the debate surrounding sanctuary policies and law enforcement&#8217;s approach to addressing issues related to\u2064 illegal immigration.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p>An email exchange between the Athens, Georgia, mayor and the Athens-Clarke County sheriff shortly after the murder of Laken Riley showed the officials scrambling to defend the county\u2019s policies on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-sheriffs-sue-biden-over-ice-restrictions-plummeting-deportations\/\" title=\"Texas Sheriffs Sue Biden Over ICE Restrictions, Plummeting Deportations\">detainer requests<\/a> from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/irli.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IRLI-ORR-000757.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">email thread<\/a> obtained through the Georgia Open Records Act and revealed by Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) earlier this week shows Athens Democratic Mayor Kelly Girtz and Sheriff John Williams discussing the county\u2019s policy that does not honor detainer requests from ICE. Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student, was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant while she was on a run near the university\u2019s campus in February.<\/p>\n<p>Two days after Riley\u2019s brutal murder, Sheriff Williams reached out to the mayor, seeking clarification on whether the county \u201cembraces being considered a sanctuary,\u201d adding that he will \u201cdo everything in my power to protect the integrity and professionalism of the Clarke County Sheriff\u2019s Office and myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Obtained through Georgia Open Records Act, the exchange on February 24, 2024, shows Sheriff Williams questioning Mayor Girtz about the county&#8217;s sanctuary status, as he is unaware.<\/p>\n<p>Sheriff Williams seems to care more about the PR than anything else. (2\/5) <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/foSahBbefE\">pic.twitter.com\/foSahBbefE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepMikeCollins\/status\/1775881102906794219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 4, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Girtz defended the Sheriff\u2019s Office policy to refuse to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-administration-releases-over-1300-criminal-illegal-immigrants-in-1-month\/\" title=\"Biden Administration Releases Over 1,300 Criminal Illegal Immigrants in 1 Month\">hold illegal immigrants<\/a> upon request from ICE, saying that immigrants are less likely to commit crime than \u201cthe native-born population.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile the community is experiencing deep trauma right now, and emotions are understandably raw, I support the detainer policy as one that is both humane and following the well-documented propensity of immigrants in the U.S. to be less criminally inclined than the native-born population.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Mayor Girtz&#8217;s response is even worse, endorsing non-cooperation policies with ICE and minimizing the seriousness of illegal immigration.<\/p>\n<p>He defends the subversion of federal authority by essentially saying, American citizens are worse anyways, so let the illegals go. (3\/5) <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vom603OGFY\">pic.twitter.com\/vom603OGFY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepMikeCollins\/status\/1775881106824262106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 4, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Riley\u2019s suspected murderer, 26-year-old Venezuelan Jose Ibarra, was reportedly let go after being detained at the southern border due to a lack of space at the detention center. He was then arrested in New York in August 2023 after he was caught driving an unregistered car with a 5-year-old inside. According to a police report, a few months later, Ibarra and his brother Diego allegedly stole food and clothing from a Walmart in Athens, Georgia. They were both given a citation for misdemeanor shoplifting and let go.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy take-away for the moment is that in the immediate wake of a tragedy, to \u2018focus on the victim\u2026avoid political messaging\u2026focus on comfort and unity (from the slideshow pp. 13-14),\u201d the mayor added in his email. \u201cI know how difficult this time is for everyone given the tragedy Athens has experienced, as well as the variety of things that land on our phones and computers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During a press conference after Riley\u2019s murder, Girtz was shouted down by angry residents, who called him a \u201cliar\u201d and said he had \u201cblood on [his] hands\u201d when he argued that the jurisdiction doesn\u2019t fit the state law\u2019s definition of a \u201csanctuary\u201d for illegal immigrants. The Center for Immigration Studies lists Clarke County on its <a href=\"https:\/\/cis.org\/Map-Sanctuary-Cities-Counties-and-States\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">map<\/a> of states, cities, and counties that fit the definition of a sanctuary.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1700760801843000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG\">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Athens Mayor Girtz (D) just tried to shift away blame over Laken Riley&#8217;s death<\/p>\n<p>Angry residents were NOT having any of it: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/V6uXFqQAh6\">pic.twitter.com\/V6uXFqQAh6<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EndWokeness\/status\/1762869283179073850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 28, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Rep. Collins called out the mayor for focusing more on PR instead of calling for immigration laws to be enforced.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInstead of prioritizing solutions to prevent tragedies like this in the future, Mayor Girtz treats Laken Riley\u2019s murder as a PR drill to be managed with \u2018comfort and unity\u2019 rather than enforcing the law,\u201d Collins wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican congressman sponsored the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/gop-led-house-passes-laken-riley-act-170-dems-vote-against-it\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Laken Riley Act<\/a>,\u201d which would require federal officials to arrest illegal immigrants who have been charged with theft in the United States. The House passed the bill by a vote of 251-170 last month, and it now awaits action to be taken on it in the Democrat-controlled Senate.<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following Laken Riley&#8217;s murder, Athens, Georgia officials hastily defended the county&#8217;s stance on ICE detainer requests. A revealed email conversation between the mayor and sheriff, obtained under the Georgia Open Records Act by Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), highlighted their swift response to the tragic event<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":324,"featured_media":2214384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/02\/MixCollage-24-Feb-2024-08-17-AM-4334-scaled-e1712416537753.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2214383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/02\/MixCollage-24-Feb-2024-08-17-AM-4334-scaled-e1712416537753.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/324"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2214383"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214383\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2214384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2214383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2214383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2214383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}