Staff Reports
In a tragic yet infuriating development, two illegal immigrants, who were released shortly after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, are now facing charges for the strangulation murder of a 12-year-old girl in Houston. This shocking incident underscores the Biden administration’s glaring failure to utilize available detention space for illegal immigrants, even those accused of heinous crimes. A recent congressional report revealed plenty of room was sitting empty, while the administration exercised its catch-and-release policy at the worst possible moment.
Franklin Joe Pena Ramos, 26, and Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, both Venezuelan nationals, were arrested by the Houston Police Department in connection with the murder of young Jocelyn Nungaray. Days before her body was discovered, both men crossed into the United States illegally and were promptly released into the public. They had what some might call a VIP pass to the “land of milk and honey,” even though they had arrived without inspection or proper entry. Meanwhile, ICE claimed that thousands of detention beds remained vacant at the very time these criminals were sent on their merry way.
ICE had enough detention space to hold illegal immigrants accused of murder but released them https://t.co/AKXJGJFGbk
— Trump2024_no_matter_what (@TexasTrump2024) August 2, 2024
A report from the House Homeland Security Committee showed that on multiple occasions, thousands of ICE beds were available yet the Biden administration consistently refused to fully utilize them. During the relevant months, it was recorded that over 2,500 beds were unfilled just days before these illegal aliens walked free. The contrast is striking and raises the question of how something this preventable could slip through the cracks of an administration that could hardly use a rubber stamp correctly if it tried.
Biden’s Department of Homeland Security appears to be treating immigration enforcement more like a game of musical chairs, where the last person standing goes home with the prize of freedom, regardless of their intentions. The report pointed out that while the Biden administration has consistently asked for fewer ICE beds, record numbers of illegal crossings have occurred on their watch. One would think that if there are more illegal aliens present, at least some mechanism would be in place to detain them, especially given the alarming number of high-profile crimes attributed to individuals who entered the country unlawfully.
Congress has set a minimum requirement of 41,500 detention beds for fiscal year 2024. Still, by now, it should be evident that the Biden administration has taken that directive and tossed it right into the proverbial round file. According to House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, the repeated refusal to effectively use available resources isn’t just puzzling; it borders on negligence. The contrast with the previous administration’s approach to border security couldn’t be more stark.
With the gruesome details escalating and reminiscent of prior cases of violence linked to illegal immigrants, the American public is left shaking its head in disbelief. If only the administration had made better use of the resources afforded to them, perhaps the tragedy surrounding Jocelyn Nungaray could have been avoided. Instead, what remains is a sobering reminder of how the catch-and-release philosophy can lead to serious, if not deadly, consequences.
