GREEN LIGHT

Mollie Tibbetts Murder Suspect Cristhian Bahena Rivera ‘Passed E-Verify Background Check’

Was deemed eligible to work despite being undocumented.

The farm that employed the man suspected of murdering 20-year-old University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts has claimed he passed a government background check and that the company had no idea that he was an undocumented immigrant. The status of suspect Cristhian Bahena Rivera has come under scrutiny after President Trump directly blamed immigration laws for the slaying. But Yarrabee Farms, which is owned by Craig Lang, a prominent member of the Republican Party in Iowa, said in a statement: “This individual has worked at our farms for four years, was vetted through the government’s E-Verify system, and was an employee in good standing.” E-Verify is an online system run by the government for employers to check the eligibility of its workers. It’s unclear how Rivera could have passed the system—he’s an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a detainer warrant was issued for him Tuesday.