Fox News host Trey Gowy highlighted the tragic fate of Laken Riley, a nursing student allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant with "no regard for life or for your laws," in his opening monologue on "Sunday Night in America."
"She wanted to spend [her life] taking care of the sick and the injured... She just could not survive a simple jog around a lake in Athens, Georgia," the former congressman and federal prosecutor said Sunday.
Riley was killed while jogging on the trails around the University of Georgia campus. She was a 22-year-old student at Augusta University.
Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national who crossed illegally into El Paso, Texas in September 2022 and paroled into the U.S., is the prime suspect.
He is charged with felonies of malice murder, murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and concealing the death of another, as well as the misdemeanor of physically hindering a 911 call, according to an affidavit filed on February 23.
In criticizing the responses from Democrats and media outlets to the murder, Gowdy called out U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., for dismissing the need for changes to immigration policies.
GEORGIA STUDENT MURDER SUSPECT CONFIRMED TO BE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT
On CNN last week, Porter argued, "I think the important thing to focus on is any one instance shouldn't shape our overall immigration policy."
Gowdy pointed out the inconsistency in reactions to the murders of James Byrd Jr., Matthew Shepard and George Floyd, which he said were immediately used by the left to advocate for policy changes.
"What Katie Porter really doesn't want is for you to do exactly what she and the left have been doing for decades," Gowdy said.
Gowdy also called out the media's reluctance to acknowledge the significance of Riley's death, specifically calling out a CNN writer who warned against the tragedy being "exploited."
"Hey, CNN: she's dead. Exploitation is the least of her concerns right now," Gowdy shot back.
In highlighting the hypocrisy in the selective politicization of tragedies, Gowdy argued "the left has no trouble politicizing some murders to advance their social causes, but God forbid you do so.
"So do not lecture us on using a single crime, a single murder to change the system, because the left has been doing it for decades. We are headed into the season of change where we get to weigh in. We get to vote. We get to ask the questions," Gowdy said.
"So if one dead nursing student killed by an illegal alien, who never should have been released into this country, and should have been deported long ago is not enough to fix the border and end sanctuary cities, then you tell us what is? You give us a number. How many caskets would be enough for you to change?"
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News' Audrey Conklin, Danielle Wallace, Stephen Sorace, Haley Chi-Sing, Michael Ruiz and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
