A Nebraska senator Monday ripped the nation’s top immigration official for coughing up “bureaucratic nonsense” in an excuse for not detaining an illegal immigrant charged in a deadly racing crash that killed a 21-year-old Iowa woman one week after graduating from college.
Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse was so upset with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Sarah R. Saldana, that he complained to her boss, Homeland Secretary Jeh Johnson.
At issue is the death of Sarah Root, allegedly killed by illegal immigrant Eswin Mejia, 19, who was drunk and street racing in Omaha on January 31 when he slammed into her car. Root was from Iowa.
Mejia of Honduras was charged with felony motor vehicle homicide, posted $50,000 bond, and fled town. Local reports said Omaha Police asked ICE to take Mejia, but refused, saying he wasn’t an enforcement priority. He was let into the country in 2013.
Sasse mocked that excuse in his letter to Saldana, asking for a better explanation of why Mejia wasn’t seized. “If this man is not a threat to public safety, then who is?” Sasse wrote February 29, noting other crimes linked to the illegal immigrant.
In her response, Saldana said the killing was “heartbreaking,” but added that ICE “would not have been able to prevent Sarah Root’s tragic death.” She added that ICE is trying to find Mejia, and has asked Honduras for help.
In his frustrated response to Saldana, Sasse wrote Johnson that “Saldana’s response to my February 29 letter is bureaucratic nonsense. ICE’s response does not attempt to answer why it did not detain an illegal alien who killed an innocent woman and is now on the run as one of ICE’s most wanted.
“Director Saldana’s handling of this matter shows no regard for the Root family and continues to be an embarrassment to the hard-working men and women at the Department of Homeland Security.”
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
