Immigration has been a hot political topic this year, and this latest news has reignited debate surrounding the tightening of borders. President Trump, after learning about the tragedy, has called yet again for tougher immigration laws.

Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old Iowa student, disappeared while jogging on July 18 this year, and tragically for her friends, family, and community, she wouldn’t be seen alive again. Weeks of searching ended this week when investigators were led to a body in an Iowa cornfield.

The very person who led them to the body is the same man that is now being charged with first degree murder: Christian Bahena Rivera.

Family and friends had remained hopeful that Mollie would be found, and this latest piece of shocking news will end that hope. Rewards of up to $400,000 were offered for information about Tibbetts while the search was carried out.

Sadly, stories like these are more common than most people would like to believe. One critically important detail in this crime is that the suspect is allegedly an undocumented immigrant to the United States.

Immigration Laws, Trump Posts a Twitter Video Condemning the Murder

The President posted a twitter video on Wednesday evening, condemning the killing and appealing to lawmakers to change current immigration laws.

In the video, President Trump told his followers, “Mollie Tibbetts, an incredible young woman, is now permanently separated from her family. A person came in from Mexico illegally and killed her.” Trump continued, “We have tremendous crime trying to come through the borders. Nobody has laws like the United States. They are strictly pathetic.”

His words, both succinct and chilling, will resonate with voters around the country. The United States has a vast and complicated immigration problem that cannot be easily solved. However, what is clear is that illegal immigration can hurt the economy, families, communities, and the individuals that are victims of crime.

Tightening immigration laws will not ultimately undo crimes like this, and it won’t eliminate them. What it will do is give authorities more information on who is coming into the country, allowing officials to reject known and potential bad actors.

Much of the immigration debate, particularly from the opposition, has focused on how immigration helps the United States and how immigrants can actually benefit local economies. This latest shocking news tells a different story, and it’s one that will be hard for people on either end of the political spectrum to accept.

If we aren’t controlling the flow of illegal immigrants, and if American communities and families are suffering, then why are lawmakers so reluctant to take strong steps to do something about it?