Republican Georgia Rep. Mike Collins announced he will leave his State of the Union address guest seat vacant Thursday night to honor victims of migrant crime.
Collins announced on social media that he will not bring a guest to the State of the Union address after the parents of Augusta nursing student Laken Riley, who was murdered by an illegal migrant, turned down his invitation to instead grieve from their home.
“I invited Laken Riley’s parents to the State of the Union address, but understandably, they have chosen to stay home as they grieve the loss of their daughter,” Collins wrote on Twitter.
“Therefore, the seat reserved for my guest will remain vacant to honor Laken and all American victims of illegal alien crime,” the congressman continued.
“As Joe Biden attempts to paint a rosy picture of the crime-ridden country he has created, he will look up at an empty seat that memorializes those we’ve lost because of his open border policies,” Collins concluded.
I invited Laken Riley’s parents to the State of the Union address, but understandably, they have chosen to stay home as they grieve the loss of their daughter.
Therefore, the seat reserved for my guest will remain vacant to honor Laken and all American victims of illegal alien…
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) March 6, 2024
Riley was found dead near a lake at the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22 after allegedly being attacked by Jose Antonio Ibarra, who entered the United States illegally in 2022, according to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) statement to the Daily Caller. (RELATED: ‘Monster’: Trump Reacts To Murder Of Laken Riley, Reiterates Pledge To Set Up Largest Deportation In US History)
Biden has yet to directly address the alleged murder of the 22-year-old student by a Venezuelan national. Former President Donald Trump said he spoke with Riley’s parents during a trip to the southern border at Eagle Pass, Texas, on Feb. 28. Biden visited the southern border at Brownsville, Texas, the same day and spoke shortly after the GOP frontrunner.
Biden is set to deliver the State of the Union address Thursday at 9:00 p.m., his last State of the Union before facing off against Trump in the 2024 election.