Former President Bill Clinton said Sunday that Georgia nursing student Laken Riley’s murder could have been prevented if the alleged killer, an illegal immigrant, had been properly vetted.
While campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris in Georgia, Clinton blamed former President Trump for derailing a bipartisan border deal. He said Trump wanted to use immigration as a campaign issue rather than solve the problem.
Clinton hinted that Riley’s death might not have occurred if Congress had passed a compromise bill. This, despite the fact that the alleged killer had already been vetted by border authorities.
“She’s the only candidate who backed a bill that would limit immigration and ensure proper vetting,” Clinton said. “But Trump killed the bill.”
He referenced Riley’s case, saying, “If they’d all been vetted properly, that probably wouldn’t have happened.”
Clinton also noted the U.S. needs vetted immigrants due to low birth rates. “We need people to work, but only if they’re properly vetted,” he added.
Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) confirmed that people crossing the border illegally are screened. The alleged killer was encountered in September 2022 and released for further processing.
Clinton praised the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the border, saying illegal crossings have decreased every year since they took office.
He highlighted how Republicans often criticize Democrats on border security, even though Harris has been misrepresented as the “border czar.” Clinton dismissed that claim as inaccurate.
Clinton accused Trump of sabotaging the bipartisan border deal, saying, “He wanted to keep the border issue alive for TV ads and to create problems rather than solve them.”