Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is looking into taking away funds that go directly to the town of Athens and "maybe even revoking their charter … if they don't abide by state laws" after Mayor Kelly Girtz, defended a resolution passed in 2019 that supports the immigrant community during a press conference on the death of Laken Riley.
Riley, 22, a nursing student at the Augusta University College of Nursing, was found beaten to death last week on the University of Georgia campus after she went out for a run.
Jose Antonio Ibarra, who was in the U.S. illegally, was arrested on murder and assault charges in connection to her death. Some officials say Riley's death could have been prevented and are blaming immigration laws.
"If cities like Athens aren't going to abide by state laws, we're going put their charter into question, which would mean we get we get rid of all those elected officials who don't want to abide by state laws and the D.A.'s that don't want to prosecute criminals," Jones said Friday on Newsmax's "National Report."
Jones said Girtz, "is totally out of touch with reality and … to hold a press conference and tragically downplay what was a horrific crime was really not wise on his part. He shouldn't even be holding that position.
"But you also have over there a very liberal D.A. that refuses to prosecute criminals and has been for the last couple of years. She needs to go as well."
Tensions over "sanctuary" policies have risen after Ibarra was identified as an undocumented immigrant.
Protesters in Georgia disrupted Girtz' press conference Wednesday after he defended a 2019 resolution that says the local government "is welcoming to people from all lands and backgrounds and strives to foster a community where individuals and families of all statuses feel safe, are able to prosper and can breathe free."
Some called on Girtz to resign and accused him of having "blood on your hands for this murder."
"Responsibility for this crime rests solely on the perpetrator," the mayor, a Democrat.
Girtz also said Athens is not a "sanctuary city."
There were "no policies adopted by the mayor or (county) commission that created a sanctuary city status in Athens" Girtz said, noting "many aspects ascribed to sanctuary cities are things that are disallowed by Georgia law."
In Georgia, local governments are required by state law to certify that they're cooperating with federal immigration officials in order to get state funding, but cities and counties can limit how closely their law enforcement authorities work with federal immigration agencies.
Athens does not keep unauthorized immigrants jailed if they have no criminal history.
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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