The Biden administration has done a lot of damage to immigration enforcement in the U.S., but perhaps its most dangerous move has been its consistent refusal to deport criminal illegal aliens who commit crimes right here in the U.S.

The latest example of the Biden administration's malfeasance came late last month, when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) canceled a deportation request for an illegal alien who allegedly killed a teenager in a hit-and-run incident.  Heriberto Fuerte-Padilla, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested in November 2020 after he allegedly drunkenly rammed his car into the car of 19-year-old Texas woman Adrienne Sophia Exum, killing her.  Fuerte-Padilla then allegedly fled the scene before police officers caught up and apprehended him.  After initially putting out a detainer for Fuerte-Padilla's deportation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rescinded the detainer after Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas dramatically reduced the pool of illegal aliens eligible for deportations.

"To be arrested or deported, a migrant now must be a national security risk, a recent border jumper or a public safety risk," a report from the Washington Times stated.

While most law-abiding Americans would likely consider drunk driving a "public safety risk," Mayorkas has made clear that he sees things differently.  Shortly after taking office last year, Mayorkas announced that many criminal illegal aliens living in the country no longer had to worry about being deported.  The guidelines adopted by DHS under Mayorkas's leadership give free passes to illegal aliens who commit crimes such as drunk driving and assault.  Other illegal aliens living in Texas with drunk driving offenses are also getting a pass, according to the Washington Times' report.

Another illegal alien who is benefiting from the Biden administration's relaxed rules is Jose Godoy Vasquez, an illegal alien from Guatemala who now lives in Texas.  Vasquez has a lengthy criminal record, which includes convictions for drunk driving, drug possession, and domestic violence.  Like Fuerte-Padilla, Vasquez initially had an ICE detainer on him, which was rescinded as a result of the policies implemented by Mayorkas after he took office.  This means that Vasquez will be able to continue to live in Texas once he's released from prison in 2025 unless a new administration is elected and rescinds the White House's current policies.

The Washington Times' report also noted Nay Thar, an illegal alien from Thailand who was previously convicted of drug possession and drunk driving.  Thar was released from prison earlier this year and will be allowed to continue to live in Texas because of the Biden administration's guidelines.

Biden is doubling down on his radical anti-borders agenda even as polls make clear that the American people oppose these policies.  Even some Americans who cast their ballots for Biden in the last presidential election now regret their votes, including Adrienne Sophia Exum's mother, who recently expressed outrage over the administration's refusal to deport her daughter's alleged killer.

"By him not being deported, it's like you telling me my daughter's life didn't mean anything," she said in a recent Fox News interview.

It may sound harsh, but it's certainly a reasonable conclusion to come to, given the Biden administration's stubborn refusal to hold criminal illegal aliens accountable.  At the very least, it's fair to say there is a startling lack of empathy from America's leaders toward victims of illegal alien crime.  We see this lack of empathy demonstrated not just in this administration's refusal to deport illegal aliens convicted of drunk driving offenses, but in instances involving other crimes as well.

A recent investigation from the Immigration Reform Law Institute uncovered the story of Antonio Miranda-Cota, an illegal alien in Nevada who is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for repeatedly bludgeoning his construction co-worker in the head with a claw-hammer, an act that nearly killed his victim.  Miranda-Cota had previously been referred for deportation after two previous assaults but was allowed to stay in the country and was ultimately given a work visa by the Obama administration.  Miranda-Cota's victim survived the attack but has lost his ability to work, and he was not allowed to read a victim impact statement at Miranda-Cota's sentencing.

These crimes evoke outrage because of how preventable they are.  The refusal of our political elites to enforce the law has led to a body count that continues to grow.  The Biden administration's radical moves to protect criminal illegal aliens will only create more victims and more suffering.

William J. Davis is a communications associate for the Immigration Reform Law Institute, a public interest law firm working to defend the rights and interests of the American people from the negative effects of mass migration.  

Image: Pixnio, public domain.