Trump says he spoke to 'devastated' parents of Laken Riley, blasts Biden for border crisis ‘like a war'

close

Video

Biden and Trump both on the ground in Texas at the border

Fox News' Lawrence Jones breaks down the contrasts in the dueling visits to the border by the president and former president on 'The Story.'

Former President Trump said he spoke with the "devastated" parents of Laken Riley — the Georgia nursing student who was brutally murdered, allegedly by an illegal migrant — saying he is "not going to forget her," and blasting President Biden for "never" saying her name.

The former president began his remarks from the border Thursday afternoon by saying he spoke to the parents of Riley, who he described as "an incredible young lady."

"The parents are devastated and they’re incredible people," he said. "This is a Joe Biden invasion. A Biden invasion. I call him crooked Joe… the most incompetent president we've ever had." 

University of Georgia murder suspect Jose Ibarra lived within a five-minute walk of the approximate scene where he allegedly murdered 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley on Feb. 22. (Mark Sims for Fox News Digital/ Laken Riley/ Jose Ibarra)

Trump's visit to the border coincided with President Biden's own trip to a different section of the border between Texas and Mexico. Biden did not mention Riley in his public remarks.

Trump detailed the brutal murder of 22-year-old nursing student Riley last week. 

"A beautiful 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia was barbarically attacked. She was on a morning run… she was a beautiful young woman," he said. "I spoke to her parents yesterday, they are incredible people. They are devastated beyond belief. She was so beautiful in so many ways." 

Trump said she was "brutally assaulted, horrifically beaten, kidnaped, and savagely murdered." 

"The monster, the charge, charged in the death is an illegal alien migrant who was led into our country and released into our communities by Crooked Joe Biden," Trump said, adding that he "took the name from Hillary because she’s no longer relevant I guess." 

Trump, the 2024 GOP frontrunner, visited Eagle Pass, Texas, Thursday and toured Shelby Park with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and state officials. He also received a briefing and met with Texas officials, as well as Brandon Judd, the president of the National Border Patrol Council. 

The former president and 2024 GOP frontrunner also met with Texas National Guard leadership. 

Trump made remarks Thursday following the briefing and tour, slamming Biden for being "incompetent," and for destroying the "most secure border in history" under his administration. 

"I call him Crooked Joe because he's crooked and he's a terrible president, the worst president our country has ever had, probably the most incompetent president we've ever had," he continued. "But it's allowing thousands and thousands of people to come in from China, Iran, Yemen, the Congo, Syria and a lot of other nations." 

Trump said many of those crossing are "entire columns of fighting-aged men." 

Trump added that the border crisis "is like a war… it’s a military operation." 

Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Augusta University, was found dead on the University of Georgia campus Thursday after her roommate reported to authorities that she had not returned home from her morning run. 

ICE CONFIRMS GEORGIA STUDENT MURDER SUSPECT ENTERED US ILLEGALLY, WAS PREVIOUSLY ARRESTED IN NYC

The University of Georgia Police Department arrested Jose Antonio Ibarra and charged him with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another, UGA Police Chief Jeffrey L. Clark said during a news briefing Friday evening. 

The suspect is not a U.S. citizen. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Sunday confirmed that the Venezuelan national entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and had previously been arrested in New York City.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, ICE confirmed he had been encountered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in August 2022, after entering near El Paso and was "paroled and released for further processing."

ICE also confirmed that Ibarra had been arrested by the New York Police Department a year later, on Sept. 14, 2023, and "charged with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation."

When ICE learns that what it believes to be a removable illegal immigrant has been arrested on criminal charges, the agency will normally lodge a detainer — a request asking local law enforcement to keep the suspect in custody until they can be transferred to ICE and put into deportation proceedings.

LAKEN RILEY MURDER SUSPECT JOSE IBARRA LIVED WITHIN 5-MINUTE WALK OF UGA CRIME SCENE

In this case, however, ICE's statement says Ibarra was released before a detainer could be issued. NYC is also a "sanctuary city," which generally restricts law enforcement from complying with ICE detainers.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.