A new video released by the National Republican Senatorial Committee spots several immigrants convicted or charged with serious crimes in Georgia under the banner "Team Ossoff," accusing Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., of shielding dangerous individuals, a move that Republicans say spotlights border security for the 2026 Senate race.
The NRSC digital advertisement, timed to coincide with the SEC Championship in Atlanta, identifies multiple noncitizens described as "illegals" whom the group claims Ossoff supports.
The video warns that "Team Ossoff" consists of individuals arrested or convicted of violent crimes against Georgian citizens.
Ossoff won a special runoff election in January 2021. He is currently running for reelection in the upcoming 2026 U.S. Senate election in Georgia.
In October, his campaign says he raised $12 million from more than 223,000 donors, 93% of whom, they claim, contributed $100 or less.
One of the men named in the ad, Hector David Sagastume Rivas, is charged in the March 2025 killing of 52-year-old Camillia Williams of Marietta, Georgia. Police say Rivas allegedly strangled Williams and used his full body weight on her neck, leading to her death.
Prosecutors in Cobb County have filed charges, including felony murder and aggravated assault. Federal authorities state Rivas entered the United States illegally in 2021, according to Fox News.
Another subject of the ad, Jose Antonio Ibarra, was convicted in November 2024 for the brutal murder of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, who was killed while jogging on the campus of the University of Georgia.
Ibarra received a life sentence without possibility of parole after a judge found him guilty of murder and several related charges, including aggravated battery, kidnapping, and false imprisonment.
Both cases have become central to national and state-level debates over immigration enforcement.
The ad's release comes as Republicans aim to make border security a defining issue ahead of Ossoff's 2026 reelection campaign.
"Jon Ossoff is doing everything he can to obstruct President Trump's efforts to deport violent illegals. Georgians deserve a Senator who fights for secure borders and stands up for innocent victims," said NRSC Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez, in the press release.
Supporters of strict immigration enforcement argue these prosecutions illustrate the danger posed by undocumented immigrants with criminal records, especially under previous lax federal policies that released migrants into the U.S. while their cases were pending.
With the 2026 election cycle approaching, the "Team Ossoff" ad frames immigration enforcement and public safety as key election issues in Georgia.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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