ICE Moves to Detain Illegal Immigrant After Fatal Hit-and-Run

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has taken steps to detain an undocumented immigrant who received a minimal prison sentence following a hit-and-run accident that resulted in the death of a college student, according to Blaze News.

On April 2, in Richland County, South Carolina, 24-year-old Rosali I. Fernandez-Cruz, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, struck and killed Nathaniel Baker, 21, a University of South Carolina student riding a motorcycle.

Fernandez-Cruz entered the U.S. illegally via the Mexican border in December 2016 and left the scene of the accident without offering assistance.

Ultimately, three of the four charges against her—failure to render aid, failure to yield right of way, and driving without a license—were dismissed. She pled guilty to hit-and-run resulting in death and was sentenced to one year in prison, with credit for 131 days already served.

Fernandez-Cruz is expected to be released in March 2026.

In a press release, the Department of Homeland Security noted that ICE is pursuing her detainment to ensure her deportation once her sentence is complete. A final order of removal was established in 2018.

Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of State, expressed her disappointment in the leniency of the sentence. “Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Baker, a 21-year-old college student, had his whole life ahead of him. This individual should not be in our country,” she stated, emphasizing the need for justice.

McLaughlin further added that the community should not have to endure the presence of individuals who pose such a threat, highlighting the long-standing removal order in place.”