Former President Bill Clinton stirred up unexpected controversy during a campaign event for Vice President Kamala Harris in Fort Valley, Georgia. Clinton, long regarded as a Democratic heavyweight, made headlines on Sunday when he commented on a sensitive issue Harris’s team would rather avoid—border security. Specifically, Clinton pointed to the tragic death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, implying her murder could have been prevented with stricter immigration policies.
“You got a case in Georgia not very long ago… they made an ad about it—a young woman who had been killed by an immigrant,” Clinton remarked at the rally. “Yeah, well, if they’d all been properly vetted that probably wouldn’t have happened.”
This candid admission caught the Harris campaign off guard, as the vice president has been closely tied to the Biden administration’s handling of border security—a policy area that has come under increasing scrutiny. Clinton’s remarks echoed long-standing criticism from Republicans who argue that the administration’s lax immigration policies have contributed to tragic outcomes, such as the murder of Riley.
Trump campaign flips Bill Clinton Laken Riley remarks on Harris https://t.co/DEaGUCN3Pg
— The Hill (@thehill) October 14, 2024
Riley’s body was discovered on February 22 near a walking trail in Athens, Georgia, close to the University of Georgia campus. She had been a nursing student at Augusta University. The following day, authorities arrested and charged an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, Jose Antonio Ibarra, with her murder. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Ibarra had been detained by Border Patrol in September 2022 near El Paso, Texas, after unlawfully entering the country. He was later released under policies implemented by the Biden-Harris administration.
Clinton’s comments drew attention to Ibarra’s case and raised fresh concerns over the administration’s handling of border security, particularly its policies on asylum seekers and detentions. Although it remains unclear whether Ibarra had filed an asylum claim after his initial apprehension, the fact that he remained in the country has become a point of contention.
This unintentional gaffe by Clinton—described by liberal journalist Michael Kinsley as what happens “when a politician tells the truth”—is likely to complicate the Harris campaign’s efforts to focus on other key issues. Harris, already under pressure from critics on immigration, now faces heightened scrutiny over the role her administration played in allowing Ibarra to remain in the U.S.
While Clinton’s remarks were not intended to support Donald Trump, they provided fresh ammunition for Republicans who have long criticized the Biden administration’s border policies. As the 2024 election looms, these issues are likely to remain front and center, with Clinton’s comments serving as a reminder of the complex and sometimes dangerous consequences of current immigration strategies.
