Gaetz Highights DHS Negligence in Letter

An illegal migrant from Nicaragua ran over a police officer in Chesapeake, Virginia in August. Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has written a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas highlighting the case as an example of DHS's apparent negligence in monitoring illegal migrants and failure to enforce immigration law.

The Washington Examiner detailed how Yacarely Diaz-Castro was driving drunk without a license, striking an officer conducting a traffic stop. Diaz-Castro claimed to have been in the United States for seven months after leaving Nicaragua and had received a Notice to Report from the Department of Homeland Security.

Rep. Gaetz noted in his letter that recipients of a Notice to Report must comply within 60 days or be deported. Moreover, Diaz-Castro was known by the DHS.

As a result, Rep. Gaetz demanded information on Diaz-Castro's immigration status and proof of her claim of receiving a Notice to Report, which he called "an unlawful papering over of your open-border policies."

Additionally, Gaetz asked for information on DHS removing illegal migrants who fail to comply with their Notices to Report and how often migrants have injured law enforcement or first responders in the past two years, all of which must be answered by October 2nd.

"An illegal alien from Nicaragua, who was already known to @DHSgov, crashed into a police officer in Virginia while drunk last month, nearly killing him. I’m demanding answers from @SecMayorkas on how many law enforcement officers and first responders have been injured by illegal aliens under his and Joe Biden’s watch," Gaetz tweeted.

Although Diaz-Castro is from Nicaragua, from which migrants can receive Temporary Protected Status (TPS) thanks to an extension introduced by Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) in March, she is unlikely to be exempt from deportation.

Virginia law stipulates DUI incidents resulting in injury can be charged as felonies. If convicted, Diaz-Castro would not be able to apply for TPS.