From the Department of Homeland Security:
ICE Lodges Arrest Detainer for Criminal Illegal Alien Who Killed Illinois, Cole County Board Member and His Wife
An extended magazine, ammunition, drugs, and an open container of alcohol were found inside the illegal alien’s vehicle
WASHINGTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today announced it lodged an arrest for a criminal illegal alien who while driving under the influence killed two Illinois residents, Michael Clayton a Coles County Board Member and his wife, Gail Clayton in a fatal car crash. Local authorities uncovered an extended magazine, ammunition, drugs, and an open container in the vehicle.
Local authorities arrested the driver, Edwin Pacheco-Meza, a 34-year-old illegal alien from Honduras and the passenger in the car, Juan Morales-Martinez, a 18-year-old illegal alien from Guatemala. Edwin Pacheco-Meza is charged with reckless homicide and driving under the influence. Juan Morales-Martinez is charged with drug possession and a weapons offense.
Following their arrests, ICE lodged a detainer with the Clark County Jail, which they ignored due to Illinois sanctuary policies.
The jail did not cooperate with ICE due to sanctuary policies, and yet, despite this, our ICE officers waited for his release and arrested Morales-Martinez outside of the Clark County Jail on October 27.
“Two innocents were killed because this criminal illegal alien chose to drive under the influence,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “President Trump and Secretary Noem have unleashed ICE and CBP in Illinois to restore law-and-order and remove criminal illegal aliens from our communities. Anyone who is in the U.S. illegally and thinks they can roam free while breaking our laws and harming Americans is in for a rude awakening. If you are in our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, arrest you, remove you, and you will never return.”
Pacheco-Meza entered the country illegally at an unknown date and time.
Morales-Martinez entered the U.S. illegally in December of 2023 and was RELEASED by the Biden administration into our country.
Sanctuary policies pose a direct, ongoing threat to American citizens by releasing criminal illegal aliens back into our communities. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE are restoring law and order to the United States and will not be stopped by activist politicians or sanctuary policies.
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From State Rep. Adam Niemerg:
Rep. Adam Niemerg: Democratic-backed Sanctuary State polices must end to keep Illinois communities safe
Dieterich, IL – State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich), Republican Spokesman on the House Immigration and Human Rights Committee, says Illinois’ Sanctuary State policies are directly to blame for the murder of Mike and Gail Clayton who were killed by a drunk driver who was in the state illegally.
“This incident raises all kinds of questions,” Niemerg said. “Why was this illegal alien in Illinois? Where did he get the money to buy alcohol and a vehicle? How was an illegal immigrant with no license or insurance able to be on road driving? We need answers to the questions.”
Niemerg said the tragic situation illustrates that the problem extends beyond Chicago.
“This is Coles County,” Niemerg said. “Two upstanding, honest citizens – one of whom served on the Coles County Board – are dead because of the insane policies our Governor continues to support.
Make no mistake about it. This insanity has to stop. We need to repeal the Sanctuary State laws. We need Illinois law enforcement to work with ICE – not against them and we need to get serious about keeping our communities safe and this needs to happen now.”
Legislation to repeal the TRUST Act has been filed in the House but the majority party has not allowed the legislation to be heard in a legislative committee.
