House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan is threatening to subpoena Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over a lack of transparency regarding the migrant accused of killing Laken Riley, The Post has learned.
A congressional letter sent Thursday and obtained by The Post states that the DHS secretary has failed to respond to a Feb. 27 request for agency documents on Jose Ibarra’s immigration history.
Authorities charge that four days earlier, Ibarra had bludgeoned nursing student Riley, 22, with a blunt object, causing “great bodily harm” and disfiguring her skull, after pouncing on her as she went for a run on campus at the University of Georgia.
He has since been slapped with a host of charges including felony murder, malice murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault and aggravated battery in connection to the death.
“DHS’s failure to produce the requested information prevents the Committee from fulfilling its constitutional oversight obligations.
“Accordingly, we write to reiterate our outstanding requests in our February 27, 2024, letter, which is attached for your convenience,” Jordan (R-Ohio) wrote, alongside Reps. Tom McClintock (R-NY) and Ben Cine (R-Va.).
“Please provide this information as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 28, 2024. Please be advised that the Committee will use compulsory process if these requests remain outstanding.”
Ibarra, 26, who The Post was first to report as being listed as part of the deadly Tren de Aragua gang last week, was initially arrested for illegally crossing into the US in September 2022 at El Paso, Texas.
After less than 24 hours in custody, federal authorities released him into the country on parole, giving him free rein in the US until October 2024, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement insiders.
After his release into the country, Ibarra lived in New York with the woman with whom he had crossed the border, Layling Franco, and her son. The couple married and then split, and Ibarra headed to Georgia, where he met up with his brothers Diego, 28, and Argenis, 24.
All three brothers were arrested on the same day. Filings by US attorneys against Diego for handing them a false green card point out with photos how he has gang tattoos associated with Tren de Aragua on his neck and face. He faces up to 10 years in prison on that charge.
Jose and Diego have yet to enter a plea to charges against them. Argenis remained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on March 8, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
A DHS spokesperson said in a statement: “The Department cannot publicly comment further on an ongoing criminal investigation and we respond to congressional correspondence directly via official channels. This was a horrific and senseless crime, and the individual responsible must be prosecuted to the fullest extent under the law. Our hearts go out to Laken Riley’s family.”
