(Daily Caller) Social media users called out the Associated Press (AP) on Sunday after the media outlet avoided stating that an illegal immigrant was charged with murdering nursing student Laken Riley.
Illegal immigrant Jose Antonio Ibarra was arrested and charged Friday by University of Georgia (UGA) authorities for the death of Lake Riley, 22, who was found Thursday afternoon. During a press conference Friday night revealing Ibarra’s identity, authorities confirmed he was not a resident of the U.S. Early reports circulated that Ibarra was illegally living in the U.S., with Department of Justice officials confirming Ibarra’s brother, Diego, was arrested over fraudulent immigration papers.
AP News, however, posted an article on X (formerly Twitter) Sunday morning claiming Riley’s death now “highlights the fear of solo female athletes.” The article notably labels Riley’s alleged murderer as an “Athens resident,” giving no other background on the illegal migrant even though university officials confirmed Friday he was not a resident of the U.S.
Social media users reacted, quickly calling out the news agency’s lack of forthrightness around Ibarra’s status.
Conservative activist Scott Presler slammed the outlet’s post in a reply which called out the ongoing border crisis, blaming Democrats for “welcoming illegal aliens into the country.”
“This young American girl was killed by an illegal alien. So, when we say that Americans are being replaced, we really mean it,” Presler replied to the post.
This young American girl was killed by an illegal alien.
So, when we say that Americans are being replaced, we really mean it.
Democrats are welcoming illegal aliens into the country. They welcome the lawlessness.
Democrats do not care about us or they would secure the border.
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) February 25, 2024
Staffer for Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Christina Pushaw, noted how the AP avoided “blaming an illegal alien” for Riley’s death.
The corporate media will blame a woman for exercising alone before blaming an illegal alien for killing her
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) February 25, 2024
Former Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker called for securing the border after correcting the outlet in his reply.
“In a story about an illegal alien murderer, the AP can’t use the word illegal alien so they make it about female athletes. In a story about female athletes, the AP can’t define female. This is journalism?” wrote political consultant and writer Ryan Girdusky.
Republican Florida Rep. Berny Jacques observed the “corporate media” is bending “over backwards” to avoid calling out Ibarra’s immigration status.
The corporate media will bend over backwards to avoid mentioning this was done by an illegal alien allowed in our country. https://t.co/WNLlXoCHse
— Berny Jacques (@BernyJacques) February 25, 2024
You obviously meant ‘the fears of being killed by one of the millions of unvetted illegal aliens that @JoeBiden has deliberately allowed to stream across the border,’ @ap,” producer, director and film and TV star Nick Searcy wrote.
