FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has lodged an ICE detainer on an illegal immigrant suspected of driving drunk and killing a man using a lawnmower in Louisiana.
DHS announced in a Thursday press release that a detainer has been lodged against Roberto Romero-Hernandez, who they say is a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, after he was arrested by the Louisiana State Police after 59-year-old Rickey G. Maddox was struck and killed by a car in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Police say Romero-Hernandez was driving that car while intoxicated and without a license.
“An arrest detainer was immediately issued following his arrest to ensure he is not released back into the community following any local proceedings,” DHS said.
Romero-Hernandez, according to local media outlets, was driving a Chevrolet Silverado on the night of Aug. 3, before he left the road on Highway 1 and struck Maddox on his 2013 Kubota lawnmower on the northbound shoulder.
Maddox was taken to the hospital with severe injuries where he later died.
16 IN CUSTODY AFTER IMMIGRATION RAID AT LA HOME DEPOT, DHS SAYS
“This criminal illegal alien’s reckless decision to drink and drive killed an innocent man. The senseless tragedy should have never happened because Romero-Hernandez should have never been in our country,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“Illegal aliens drinking and driving and killing American citizens happens far more often than the media wants you to know about. Just over the past two weeks, an illegal alien driving under the influence killed a mother and her 11-year-old daughter in New Jersey and two high school sweethearts in Wisconsin. Every death caused by an illegal alien is preventable.”
This comes as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is facing intense criticism for its crackdown on illegal immigration and as officers are dealing with an 830% increase in assaults.
While the agency has said it will not back down from arresting any immigrants who are in the country illegally, the new DHS statement says that the vast majority of those arrested thus far have criminal charges or convictions. Despite claims by some Democrats that ICE is targeting innocent immigrant communities, 70% of the agency’s arrests have been of illegal immigrants convicted or charged with crimes.
The country has seen an influx of ICE detainers under the Trump administration and Fox News Digital previously reported that in the sanctuary city of New York, ICE has already issued 400% more detainers on illegal immigrants than former President Joe Biden did during his entire term.
Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report