Posted on 02/28/2024 11:57:28 AM PST by lowbridge
Members of the press and Athens residents packed into the Athens-Clarke County Police Department headquarters Wednesday to discuss public safety and immigration with Mayor Kelly Girtz. The news conference followed the killing of University of Georgia student Laken Riley by Jose Antonio Ibarra, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, on Feb. 22 and was quickly taken over by questions about Athens’ stance on immigration.
Girtz emphasized Athens’ lowering crime rates over the last several years, and said that data shows there is no link between immigration and crime.
“I caution against conflating immigration and crime, the data demonstrates that the two are not connected,” Girtz said during the conference.
According to a 2023 study by Stanford University’s Institute for Economic Policy Research, immigrants are 30% less likely to be incarcerated than U.S.-born individuals.
Nonetheless, Riley’s death has become a political lightning rod, with many conservative activists, organizations and politicians holding it as an example of the dangers of undocumented immigrants.
Several demonstrators attending the conference echoed this sentiment, carrying signs reading “Justice for Laken, resign NOW” and “Blood on your hands.” They interrupted Girtz several times, shouting for Athens to crack down on undocumented immigrants living in the city.
Demonstrators and members of the media also asked Girtz to address Athens’ status as a “sanctuary city,” a term often used to describe local governments that limit or deny cooperation with the federal government’s enforcement of immigration law.
Girtz was hesitant to refer to Athens as a sanctuary city, saying that the term does not have a formal definition and can mean different things depending on who is using it. However, he said Athens’ local government will continue to affirm immigrants, and the killer being an undocumented immigrant should not be a reason to condemn local immigrant communities.
(Excerpt) Read more at redandblack.com ...
The problem is NICK Gertz…
That is an indictment of the Biden Regime, not an exoneration of immigrants. The illegal ones should be 100% more likely to be arrested!
The UGA newspaper, The Red and Black, is a big proponent of illegal aliens. The paper pushed for in-state tuition for illegal students for years, but I don’t think they succeeded.
The press conference this morning was brutal for Mayor Girtz. People were yelling from the audience, “Resign”, “Murderer” and “You have blood on your hands”.
Girtz has blamed Trump, ‘Charlottesville’, and white supremacists for increased crime in Athens-Clarke County. In the past, ACC was almost crime free. Any murder was big news since it happened so seldom. Now, drugs, theft, assaults, and murders are happening more and more.
The DA, Deborah Gonzales, is a Soros DA. She has announced she will not ask for the death penalty, no matter the crime. She plea deals or dismisses charges and is against incarceration for criminals of all types. The local prosecutors and attorneys despise her.
“According to a 2023 study by Stanford University’s Institute for Economic Policy Research, immigrants are 30% less likely to be incarcerated than U.S.-born individuals”
Less likely to be incarcerated but more likely to commit crimes. For instance, the thug that killed Riley should have been first jailed and then deported. Also, when Hispanic and Arab illegal alien criminals are listed as “white” on the booking documents, it does tend to skew the statistics. This perp was listed as “white” on the information booking him into the local jail.
Also, I put little trust in any research from Sanford University.
DO NOT BELIEVE YOUR OWN EYES!
She’s guilty, Jim.
[I identify him as a girly man....]
Another asshole cop in love with the Cartels.
Girtz is an opportunistic ghoul who exploited Laken Riley’s murder to associate Pres Trump with White supremacy. How detached can a political hack be? This is the type of tool who’d praise Charles Manson for his leadership abilities and admire Jeffrey Dahmer’s “culinary skills”. Yeah Shitler had a bad attitude towards the Jews but he was an eco conscious animal lover. Mercy to the cruel is cruelty to the innocent
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