(NewsNation) — Jury selection will begin Wednesday in the murder trial stemming from the death of Georgia college student Laken Riley.
Officials say her accused killer Jose Antonio Ibarra was in the United States illegally at the time of Riley’s death. The upcoming trial has renewed a push to pass an immigration enforcement bill in her name.
The Laken Riley Act
The Laken Riley Act would impose stricter immigration rules by mandating that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detain undocumented people accused of certain crimes.
It would also allow states to sue the federal government for releasing a non-U.S. citizen from custody or for certain immigration procedure violations.
Alabama Republican Sen. Katie Britt and North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd introduced the bill in March — one month after Riley’s body was found in a wooded area near campus.
Investigators say she suffered blunt-force trauma to the head.
Police arrested Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan migrant, on charges of murder, aggravated battery and kidnapping in connection with Riley’s death.
Britt argues the bill is critical for public safety.
The Laken Riley Act passed in the House with bipartisan support earlier this year.
What we know about the case
The investigation into Riley’s death began when a friend reported her missing on Feb. 22 after she didn’t return home from a run.
Investigators soon after discovered her body on the University of Georgia campus in a forested area.
Emergency responders tried to revive Riley but determined she died before officers discovered her body.
The University of Georgia Police Department arrested Ibarra in connection to Riley’s death the following day.
Prosecutors allege Ibarra beat Riley with an object and dragged her body to a secluded area off the jogging path to conceal her body.