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A US judge on Wednesday sentenced an undocumented migrant to life in prison without parole for the murder of a young nursing student – a case repeatedly cited by newly elected President Donald Trump as evidence of the need for a crackdown on immigration.

The body of Laken Riley, who had gone for a morning jog, was found in February in a wooded area near a lake on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens.

Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, was found guilty Wednesday of 10 charges, including murder and aggravated assault with intent to rape Riley, a student at Augusta University in Athens.

During his campaign, Trump repeatedly railed against undocumented immigrants, blaming them for “poisoning the blood” of the country and comparing them to “animals” and “monsters.”

The killing shocked the college town and made national headlines, becoming a prominent part of Trump’s successful campaign for the White House, which rested largely on an anti-immigration platform.

In a post on social media, Trump praised the guilty verdict for Ibarra, a Venezuelan he called “the illegal one.”

“It is time to secure our border and remove these criminals and thugs from our country so something like this cannot happen again!” Trump said.

The Republican has promised to crack down on border crossings and carry out mass deportations once he takes office in January.

He has appointed Tom Homan, a veteran hardline immigration official, as his “border czar.”

During the sentencing hearing, Riley’s family members and friends emotionally asked the judge for the maximum sentence, detailing the novice nurse’s impact on their lives.

Ibarra, wearing a blue plaid shirt, sat impassively through the proceedings. He has 30 days to appeal the verdict or file other requests for damages, Judge H. Patrick Haggard said.

Lauren Phillips, the victim’s younger sister, said the defendant was “the epitome of evil” for depriving her of Riley’s continued presence in her life.

“She will never send me a daily good morning text, funny TikTok or crazy Snapchat again,” Phillips said, breaking down in tears.

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