A man suspected of murdering a woman with a hammer in Florida last week is reportedly an undocumented immigrant from Haiti. According to the Department of Homeland Security, he had been shielded from deportation under former President Biden’s policies.
The incident, captured by surveillance cameras, involves a 40-year-old man accused of striking the victim in the head multiple times outside a gas station in Fort Myers.
DHS stated that the man entered the U.S. in August 2022, was released while the Biden administration was in power, and later received Temporary Protected Status, which is valid until 2024. This comes despite a deportation order issued by a federal judge in 2022.
“This individual violently attacked this woman with a hammer. The Biden administration allowed him into the country and granted him protected status,” commented Lauren Biss, Acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at DHS. “Their immigration policies have cost this woman her life.”
DHS noted that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seeking custody of the suspect, ensuring he will be deported regardless of the ongoing legal proceedings.
Interestingly, there are discrepancies in the spelling of the suspect’s name: while the Fort Myers Police Department lists it as Rolbert Joachin, DHS refers to him as Rolbert. joachim. Police have confirmed that “Joachin” is the correct spelling, but DHS has not yet responded to inquiries about this difference.
Joachin was taken into custody on murder and criminal mischief charges. Court records indicate that he confessed to detectives, admitting he had gone to the gas station intending to kill Nilufa Easmin, who was known as Yasmin, and was a mother of two.
Detectives reported that Joachin wore the same clothes he had on during a prior encounter with Yasmin, hoping she would recognize him. He allegedly vandalized her car to lure her outside.
Surveillance footage shows the incident unfolding: it shows Joachin breaking her car’s windshield and then attacking the victim with the hammer as she emerged from the store.
The suspect is additionally being investigated in relation to another case still under review. His next court appearance is scheduled for early May, during which he will remain jailed without bail due to the danger he poses.
Florida Attorney General James Usmeyer remarked on the preventability of this murder, criticizing the open border policy of the Biden administration and the ongoing struggle to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians.
In a related note, it was reported that an appeals court recently upheld the TPS status, with further discussions expected soon in the Supreme Court.
