Far-left Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pennsylvania) claimed Wednesday she had never heard of Jocelyn Nungaray, the 12-year-old girl whose murder, allegedly at the hands of two illegal immigrants from Venezuela, has reignited calls for tougher border policies.
“I don’t know who she is. I live in Pittsburgh,” the Pennsylvania Democrat said. Fox Business When asked about the torture and murder of the Nungaray family in Houston last week, reporter Hilary Vaughan responded:
“I live in Pittsburgh. I don’t know anything about that,” Lee repeated when pressed by reporters, before rushing back to his office on Capitol Hill.
As Lee appeared, a reporter asked the 36-year-old congresswoman whether it was time to end the Biden administration’s policy of releasing migrants apprehended crossing the border illegally on parole, a policy that has allowed federal authorities to release large numbers of migrants into the US while they await their immigration court hearings.
“I’ll have to look into it,” Lee replied, offering to speak to a reporter later.
Several other Democrats, none of them from Texas, also called Nungaray’s killing horrific but similarly did not hold the 81-year-old president responsible when asked by reporters.
Lee’s response drew the ire of fellow Pennsylvania native and Republican candidate for the state Senate, Dave McCormick.
“This is awful,” McCormick’s campaign wrote on X, sharing a video of Lee’s comments.
“Her name is Jocelyn Nangaray,” McCormick wrote in his post. “Bob Casey should be absolutely ashamed of himself for his continued support of Summer Lee.”
McCormick will challenge longtime Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey (Democrat) in the November election.
Lee, who is running against Republican James Hayes in Pennsylvania’s 12th District race, has Casey’s endorsement.
Her office did not respond to The Washington Post’s request for comment.
Authorities say Nungaray was strangled to death on June 16 after being assaulted for two hours under a bridge in Houston by suspects Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, 26, and Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21.
Sources say Ramos illegally crossed the southern border in May.
Martinez, meanwhile, entered the U.S. in March and was fitted with an ankle monitoring device, but the device was removed in May after it was discovered he had no criminal record.
Both men were charged with murder.
Nungaray’s family has condemned the Biden administration’s immigration policies and called for a “safer country.”
“We have to stop burying our children. This is not right,” Nungarei’s mother, Alexis, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesday night.
“There needs to be a much tougher crackdown on immigration. This is not acceptable. It will not be tolerated.”
Lawmakers are also focusing on the ongoing migration crisis at the southern border in the wake of Nungaray’s killing.
“Joe Biden’s open border policies continue to devastate American communities,” Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) said in a statement.
“This needless humanitarian tragedy is the latest loss in a humanitarian crisis that is devastating communities and families across America,” Stefanick said of Nungaray’s death.
