Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, talks to reporters following the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon in the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 14, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The measure's namesake, Sarah Root, was a 21-year-old Iowa woman who was killed by a drunk driver who was also in the country illegally. Ernst noted that the suspect, Edwin Mejia, was able to post bond and ultimately escape facing the court.
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"Citing the Obama administration’s November 2014 memo on immigration enforcement priorities, ICE declined to take custody of Mejia, despite his repeated driving offenses and history of skipping court dates," Ernst explained.
Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, was found dead near a lake on campus on Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Allyson Phillips/Facebook)
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The senator pointed to the immigration practice known as "catch and release," during which illegal immigrants seeking entry on the basis of asylum are released during the processing period. "Instead of being detained while he was processed, he was released into our country — never to be heard from again," she said.
While Ibarra may have been prevented from allegedly killing Riley had he been detained upon entry to the country, Sarah's Law would not have stopped the attack, as Ibarra's criminal record doesn't include crimes in which others were killed or injured.
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