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Laken Riley’s Parents Decline State of the Union Invitation


Joe Biden will be giving his annual State of the Union Address, which is typically a highly sought after event for any normal President.

However, parents of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley have decided against attending the event after receiving an invitation from Representative Mike Collins, a Republican from Georgia.

The story of Laken Riley has recently become a topic of debate surrounding immigration after being beaten to death by an illegal immigrant while going for a run on University of Georgia’s campus.

News Max has more on Collins’s invitation to Laken Riley’s parents:

“I invited Laken Riley’s parents to the State of the Union address, but understandably, they have chosen to stay home as they grieve the loss of their daughter,” Collins posted on X.

“Therefore, the seat reserved for my guest will remain vacant to honor Laken and all American victims of illegal alien crime.”

Collins has been an active voice of Laken’s story, even holding a moment of silence of the House floor in honor of Laken.

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The Gazette adds more on the story:

“As Joe Biden attempts to paint a rosy picture of the crime-ridden country he has created, he will look up at an empty seat that memorializes those we’ve lost because of his open border policies,” the congressman continued.

The decision to invite Riley’s parents comes as Biden is facing increasing pressure to make policy changes at the southern border, which is seeing an unprecedented number of illegal crossings. At least one lawmaker, Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), is calling on the president to name Riley in his speech and acknowledge her death on Thursday during the State of the Union.

Collins also introduced a piece of legislation in response to her death called the Laken Riley Act. Under the bill, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be required to detain immigrants who have been charged with crimes such as local theft or burglary in the United States. The House voted to adopt a rule to consider the Laken Riley Act on Wednesday, setting the bill up for a vote as early as Thursday.

Many have taken to X to question what Biden will cover in his address, many surrounding the death of Laken Riley:

When Karine Pierre was asked about whether or not Biden will address Laken during his address, she had very little to share unfortunately:

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With Biden set to give his State of the Union Address, many will be watching to see what areas he will cover, many will be interested to hear what he has to say on the poor handling of immigration and the disaster of an economy over the past year.



 

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