ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — The killing of nursing student in Georgia has become an issue in the 2024 presidential campaign. The suspect in last week’s slaying of Laken Riley is a Venezuelan man who entered the U.S. illegally and was allowed to stay to pursue his immigration case. Former President Donald Trump blamed President Joe Biden and his border policies for the Augusta University student’s fatal beating. He and other Republicans have suggested migrants are committing crimes more often than U.S. citizens even though the evidence does not back up those claims. Democrats have been more muted. Many expressed sorrow for Riley’s death. Some have accused Trump of exploiting a tragedy and using xenophobic rhetoric for political gain.
