April 5th 2024.
The Garcia family is outraged. They are the family of Ruby Garcia, a woman who was killed by an undocumented immigrant and found on the side of a highway in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their anger stems from the fact that the anticipated Republican nominee, Donald Trump, has been spreading false information about interacting with them at his rallies.
As reported by Intelligencer, Mavi Garcia, Ruby's sister, spoke out about this issue in an interview with Target 8. She stated, "He did not speak with any of us, so it was quite shocking to see him claim that he did and mislead people on live TV." Mavi, who has taken on the role of the family spokesperson, also expressed her disapproval of her sister's death being used for political gain. "It's always about illegal immigrants," she said. "No one talks about when American citizens commit heinous crimes. It's alarming that he would only focus on immigrants. What about Americans who do the same?"
The Democrats in Michigan share Mavi's sentiments. During a virtual press conference, Senator Debbie Stabenow said, "Ruby Garcia's death was a terrible tragedy. However, Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are exploiting it for their own political agenda. To be honest, I find it shameful." Mavi also disagreed with the idea that her sister and the killer, Brandon Ortiz-Vite, were in a romantic relationship. While authorities claim they were boyfriend and girlfriend, Mavi clarified that their relationship never progressed to that level. However, she did express her wish that Ortiz-Vite had not come to the United States from Mexico.
Interestingly, Trump did meet with the family of Laken Riley, who also tragically lost her life due to an undocumented immigrant. However, like the Garcia family, Laken's family also does not want her death to be politicized. Despite this, conservatives have used her death as a symbol to push for immigration reform.
Laken's father, in an interview with NBC News, shared his thoughts on this issue. "I wish my daughter's death hadn't started such a political storm in our country. It has caused a lot of people to react strongly on both sides." Jason Riley also mentioned that it still feels surreal and that he wakes up every day thinking he can call his daughter, only to remember he can't.
Similar to the Garcia family, the Riley family also believes that their daughter's name is being used for political gain. "I think it's being used for votes," Jason stated. "It makes me angry. They're just using my daughter's name for their own agenda. She was so much more than that. She was an angel." Despite being a Trump supporter, Jason also emphasized the need to help victims of human trafficking, but he still doesn't want his daughter's death to be politicized.
On the other hand, Senator Raphael Warnock accused the Republican Party of doing exactly what Jason Riley does not want. He called their House bill "smoke and mirrors" and urged them to stop using Laken's tragic death to further their own agenda. "It's time to get serious," Warnock said. "Stop using this young woman's death for political gain."
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