ST. LOUIS, MO- The next time you hear the left refer to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers fascists or Nazis, the following will remind you who the radical left is trying to protect.
According to a news release from ICE, a 28-year-old Mexican illegal alien who, under current law, gave birth to an “American” citizen, attempted to fraudulently transfer that child to another individual to pay off debt with human smugglers. Maria Lidia Valle-Hernandez was removed from the country on May 11.
ICE alleges that Valle-Hernandez registered under a false name at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Lake St. Louis before giving birth to a child in January 2024. She intended on letting another woman, also an illegal alien, to falsely claim the baby as her own so she too could gain status under the so-called “birthright citizenship” fantasy that the left has claimed is included in the 14th Amendment. ICE alleges that Valle-Hernandez gave the other woman her hospital identification wristband after she was discharged from the hospital. The other woman then presented herself to hospital staff as the mother.
“Human trafficking and smuggling exist everywhere, even in quiet, low-crime communities such as Lake Saint Louis, Missouri,” said Homeland Security Investigations St. Louis Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gregory Paris.
“This investigation is a great example of HSI and local police working together to disrupt the smuggling and trafficking networks that profit off the vulnerable and use false promises to create a magnet for continued smuggling.”
The scheme came to light when an unidentified concerned party reported it to the Lake Saint Louis Police Department. Police contacted the hospital, the Missouri Children’s Division, and HSI St. Louis.
Through their probe, investigators found that Valle-Hernandez was the child’s birth mother, and was given multiple opportunities to correct her statements. She continued to stick to her false claims until her identity was confirmed by HSI special agents through fingerprint records.
She eventually admitted her actions were spurred by financial concerns and a debt to human smugglers, which she wanted to resolve by bringing her other child from Mexico to the United States.
“We appreciate the collaboration with our federal partners to keep our community safe,” said Lake Saint Louis Police Chief Chris DiGIuseppi. “Educating law enforcement, medical staff, and the public on the indicators of human trafficking will ultimately aid in protecting victims and holding suspects accountable.”
Unfortunately in sanctuary jurisdictions such as Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and others, partnerships between ICE and local police departments are non-existent and situations such as the above would likely go either undetected or ignored.
Valle Hernandez was caught five times illegally entering the United States in August, 2022 near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, including twice on the same day. She was returned to Mexico each time, yet still found her way back to the United States.
Chesterfield police arrested Valle-Hernandez for fourth degree domestic assault on April 22, 2026. The next day, ICE St. Louis lodged an immigration detainer on her and she was taken into custody. She was removed from the United States following an immigration court order on May 11. The child was taken into protective custody by the Missouri Children’s Division.
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