A man who came to the U.S. illegally and was subsequently deported four times allegedly killed a mother and her son in Colorado, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Jose Guadalupe Menjivar-Alas, who is from El Salvador, was previously deported four times after initially sneaking into the country undetected, ICE said. Menjivar-Alas, 37, was charged with vehicular homicide reckless, vehicular homicide DUI and habitual traffic offender after he allegedly crashed his vehicle and killed 47-year-old Melissa Powell and her 16-year-old son, Riordan, on Dec. 12, according to the Broomfield Police Department.
The accused has four convictions from Boulder County Court for alcohol-related driving offenses that occurred between 2007 and 2019, ICE said. A Boulder County judge had sentenced Menjivar-Alas to probation, community service and work release four days before his latest alleged offense, according to CBS News.
“Sanctuary policies not only lack any public benefit but also contribute to an increase in crime against citizens. By giving sanctuary to illegal aliens, these policies inadvertently enable them to commit crimes without consequences. The safety of citizens must be our utmost concern,” retired ICE Denver Field Office Director and current board member with National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE) John Fabbricatore told the DCNF.
“The failures of Colorado’s sanctuary policies allowed a convicted criminal to stay in our local communities on probation, intentionally avoiding notifying ICE. If sanctuary policies were abolished, these unnecessary deaths could have been prevented. We must end sanctuary policy and secure the border now!” Fabbricatore, who is also running for Congress, said.
ICE Denver lodged a detainer with Broomfield County to seek his arrest, the agency spokesperson said. Menjivar-Alas was deported in June 2009, June 2012, November 2014 and January 2015.
“ICE records show that the subject has been previously removed and has no regard for immigration law. As part of its routine operations, ICE targets and arrests noncitizens who commit crimes and other individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws,” the ICE spokesperson told the DCNF.
“All noncitizens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removed from the United States, regardless of nationality,” the spokesperson added.
Post written by Jennie Taer. Republished with permission from DCNF.
