"The opening statements brought me to tears"- Riley Gaines reacts to the Laken Riley murder trial as she slams Alejandro Mayorkas

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Nov 20, 2024 10:20 GMT

Riley Gaines expressed her thoughts about the ongoing Laken Riley murder trial, which has caused significant controversy over the issue of illegal immigrants. The 24-year-old social activist minced no words in criticizing Alejandro Mayorkas, the outgoing Secretary of Homeland Security for the United States.

For the unversed, Laken Riley was a student at the University of Georgia and was sexually assaulted and murdered on the morning of February 22, 2024. She was assaulted reportedly by Jose Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela.

Disturbing details have emerged from the prosecutors' opening statement. In the words of prosecuting lawyer Sheila Ross,

"He [Ibarra] went hunting for females on the University of Georgia campus, and on his hunt, he encountered 22-year-old Laken Riley on her morning jog.When Laken Riley refused to be his r**e victim, he bashed her skull in with a rock repeatedly."

Gaines reacted to these statements on her X handle as she posted,

"May this monster never see the light of day again.The opening statements brought me to tears. Prayers for the Riley family."

Gaines also came down harshly on Alejandro Mayorkas, who has been previously criticized for his alleged ignorance towards the issue of illegal immigration. A motion of impeachment has been issued twice against Mayorkas since 2023. Gaines reflected on this issue as she wrote in another post,

"Laken Riley deserved a shot at life. And Alejandro Mayorkas belongs in prison."

Apart from her fight to keep transgender people out of women's sports, Riley Gaines has also been vocal on the issue of illegal immigration. She has been critical of the outgoing US administration over their inability to handle these issues.

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Riley Gaines on the failure of Biden administration

Riley Gaines on the failure of Biden administration [Image for Representational Purposes] [Image Source : Getty]

Since the beginning, Riley Gaines had been critical of the outgoing US administration, led by former President Joe Biden. The social activist criticized the administration over their several failures occasionally.

As disturbing details from the Laken Riley murder trial emerged, Gaines took to her X handle to criticize the Biden administration for failing to handle the issue of illegal immigration properly. In her words,

"I can't stop thinking about Laken Riley. That could have been anyone...your daughter, your neighbor, your sister, etc. How many more Americans have to die before Biden acknowledges the national security threat an open border imposes? Riley's death was entirely preventable."

That wasn't all. Riley Gaines had previously been campaigning against the Biden administration for forcefully implementing the Title IX changes. According to the changes proposed, additional security would be provided to the athletes representing the LGBTQ+ community.

However, according to critics like Riley Gaines, Title IX changes were just an excuse to further endanger the safety of female athletes, by allowing biological males disguised as female athletes to take part without fear.

Riley Gaines first came into the limelight in 2022, when she protested against the participation of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the NCAA Swimming Championships. She also sued the NCAA in early 2024 for allegedly deliberately promoting transgender athletes in women's sports.