Judge Orders Release of MS-13 Gang Member Despite Criminal History
A federal judge has directed immigration authorities to release a member of a gang involved in illegal immigration, even though he has a troubled criminal background that includes serious offenses like rape and robbery. This decision was made known recently.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson, who was nominated by President Obama, made the order regarding Carlos Antonio Flores Miguel, an MS-13 gang member originally from El Salvador. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the ruling.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Biss expressed strong criticism, stating, “This activist judge, appointed by President Obama, released Carlos Antonio Flores Miguel, an illegal alien from El Salvador and member of the MS-13 gang, from ICE custody. Releasing a violent criminal is inexcusably reckless and will allow him to commit further crimes against innocent Americans in the future.”
According to DHS, Flores Miguel is set to be released under the Biden administration, a decision that adds to his complex case. He was arrested by ICE in January in Minneapolis after allegedly resisting arrest by violently attacking ICE officers.
Flores Miguel’s history in the U.S. includes multiple serious crimes, such as rape and illegal re-entry. He also faces previous robbery charges from his home country.
“President Trump is enforcing the law and arresting illegal aliens who have no right to be in our country,” Biss added. “If an immigration judge determines that an illegal alien does not have the right to be in this country, we will remove them.”
Interestingly, Flores-Miguel initially entered the U.S. illegally in September 2016 but was deported soon after. He tried to re-enter the following year and was again deported. His third illegal entry occurred in October 2021, leading to his eventual release in June 2022.
After the judge’s latest ruling, DHS asserted that this situation underscores the necessity of third-country expulsion for criminal illegal immigrants. A federal appeals court recently sided with the Trump administration’s policy of deporting immigrants to countries other than their own, despite pushback from critics concerned about its risks.
In her comments, Judge Nelson critiqued the government’s actions, noting the careless publication of Flores Miguel’s photo on the DHS website, referring to him as one of the “worst of the worst.” She remarked that the defendants hadn’t provided adequate justification for why another country would accept someone labeled in such a manner.
