A mother from Edna, Texas, is calling for change following the tragic deaths of two young women at the hands of illegal immigrants. Jacqueline Medina, the mother of 16-year-old Lizbeth Medina, who was allegedly killed in December by an illegal immigrant, expressed her grief over the recent murder of Georgia college student Laken Riley. Their deaths have sparked a discussion about the need for stricter laws to protect communities from individuals with violent criminal histories, regardless of their immigration status.
Both Lizbeth and Riley aspired to become nurses, with bright futures ahead of them. Medina shared that her daughter had dreams of studying at the University of Texas at Arlington and had been nominated for the Congress of Future Medical Leaders Award of Excellence. The tragic loss of these young women has underscored the importance of ensuring the safety of all individuals in society.
Medina emphasized that the issue at hand is not about politics but about safeguarding the well-being of loved ones. She highlighted the need for collective action to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. Since her daughter’s passing in 2023, there have been too many instances of young girls losing their lives to violence, underscoring the urgent need for communities to work together to create a secure environment for all.
The arrest of the suspect in Lizbeth’s murder, Rafael Govea Romero, brought some closure to the Medina family. Romero, an illegal immigrant, has been charged with capital murder and is currently under an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer. The circumstances surrounding Lizbeth’s death and the potential connection to a prior burglary have raised concerns about the safety of the community.
In a separate incident, Laken Riley was found dead near a lake on the University of Georgia campus after being attacked by Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant. Ibarra, who entered the U.S. through the U.S.-Mexico border in 2022, faces multiple charges related to Riley’s murder. The similarities between Lizbeth’s and Riley’s killings have drawn attention to the need for enhanced measures to address violence in communities.
As the community grapples with these tragic losses, the families of Lizbeth and Riley continue to seek justice for their daughters. The incidents have shed light on the broader issue of public safety and the need for comprehensive solutions to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.