Lawmakers hand out buttons in memory of Laken Riley ahead of SOTU

Citizens for the Republic

Members of Congress are handing out buttons ahead of the State of the Union in honor of murder victim Laken Riley, who was allegedly killed by a man illegally living in the U.S.

“[West Virginia Rep. Alex Mooney] is keeping the memory of this fine young woman alive, after the President and Democrats turned their backs,” Craig Shirley, chairman of conservative PAC Citizens for the Republic, said in comment provided to Fox News Digital.

“Poll after poll identifies illegal immigration as the Number 1 issue of concern to Americans. How many more tragedies will we have to endure before the Biden administration takes these concerns seriously?”

Georgia Republican Rep. Marjoire Taylor Greene was also spotted wearing and handing out buttons showing a photo of Riley, and another that says, “Say Her Name Laken Riley,” social media posts show.

Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was discovered beaten to death last month after going for a run on the University of Georgia’s campus. The Augusta University student crossed paths with illegal immigrant Jose Antonio Ibarra, according to authorities, and died from blunt force trauma to the head.

Ibarra, a Venezuelan national, entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was granted border "parole," authorities have said.

The buttons were handed out ahead of President Biden’s annual address Thursday evening to a joint session of Congress. Earlier Thursday, the U.S. House passed the Laken Riley Act, which would require federal authorities to detain illegal immigrants charged with local theft or burglary.

Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this repor