Mollie Tibbetts Killing: MN Republicans Blame Immigration Laws

MINNESOTA — Minnesota Republicans are blaming immigration laws in the death of Mollie Tibbets, a University of Iowa student whose body was discovered Tuesday in a cornfield about 15 miles from her hometown.

Authorities said Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, a Mexican national who has been living in the country illegally for about seven years, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

"The unconscionable murder of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts at the hands of an illegal alien should NOT be happening in America," Republican Rep. Jason Lewis tweeted Wednesday.

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"This is an outrage that demands action at our border."

Lewis said in another post that lawmakers should work to "build the wall, secure the border and have local officials work in earnest with federal immigration officials."

Republican Karin Housley, who is running for United States Senate against Tina Smith, also blamed current immigration laws.

Housley also blamed "liberal Democrats and open border advocates."

"I’m not politicizing it," Housley told Minnesota Public Radio. "I’m just pointing it out that we have a real issue with our immigration system here in the United States."

Smith, the Democrat appointed to replace Al Franken in the Senate, said Tibbets' death was "an awful tragedy and my heart breaks for Mollie’s family" in a statement to the Star Tribune.

"The individual responsible for this heinous crime must be brought to justice and punished."

Democrat Angie Craig, who is running against Lewis, told MPR she found it "outrageous" the congressman is "politicizing this tragedy."

"I am heartbroken for the family of Mollie Tibbetts and cannot imagine the anguish they are experiencing. We should be supporting this family, not subjecting them to politics."

Also read: Mollie Tibbetts Killing Suspect Arrested: Police

Photo via Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office