SEYMOUR, IN - Officials in the state of Indiana use the recently passed Laken Riley Act to deport an illegal immigrant who caused a deadly crash in September 2024.
According to FOX59, Jackson County Prosecutor Jeff Chalfant said that Domingo Juan Juan had two previous misdemeanor charges of driving without ever receiving a license and in both cases, he went through pretrial diversion due to confusion over his identity. Juan Juan was in the United States illegally and had been deported before reentering the country.
On March 26, 2024, Juan Juan was driving on U.S 50 east of Seymour when he lost control of his car, crossed the center line and collided head-on with another car. That crash killed 27-year-old Brad Castner.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Juan Juan was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol and he wasn't speeding, so the prosecutor's officer couldn't charge him with homicide or murder due to the case not meeting those standards. The only recourse for prosecutors was to charge him with another Class C misdemeanor for driving without ever receiving a license, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 60 days.
Chalfant said that there is no sentence enhancement for an unlicensed driver who causes a fatal crash. However, thanks to the passing of the Laken Riley Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on January 29th, prosecutors now had a way to deport Juan Juan.
The law allows for the deportation of "illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury." The act is named after a Georgia nursing student who was killed by a Venezuelan man who was in the United States illegally.
Juan Juan was not considered a violent offender, but because he was involved in a crash that killed someone he was now eligible for deportation under the law. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took him into custody on February 12th, initiating deportation proceedings.
Chalfant said that immigration is a growing problem in southern Indiana and estimates that there are thousands of undocumented individuals living in Jackson County. The Laken Riley Act gives authorities a tool for removing people in the country illegally who commit certain offenses. Chalfant said, "Thankfully, we have a new president and federal partners who are working to address these issues."
Rep. Erin Houchin said the administration was deporting thousands because of the newly passed law. She blasted the Biden administration for its previous policies. She said, "The wide-open border led to tragedies like the one we saw here and many others across the nation. Brad Castner should still be alive today. The illegal alien who took his life should've never been in our country."
Representatives said that the Laken Riley Act is already making an impact. Houchin said, "Criminal illegal aliens are being detained and deported before they can commit more crimes and destroy more families. I truly believe we will not see him back in the United States. He's a problem for Guatemala now."
FOX5 reported that Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) said in a statement, "President Trump's done just what he said he would do. He's addressed the issue and signed the bill. We're very proud of Mike Collins, who was the author of the bill that ensures that tragedies like this won't happen again."
According to FOX59, Jackson County Prosecutor Jeff Chalfant said that Domingo Juan Juan had two previous misdemeanor charges of driving without ever receiving a license and in both cases, he went through pretrial diversion due to confusion over his identity. Juan Juan was in the United States illegally and had been deported before reentering the country.
On March 26, 2024, Juan Juan was driving on U.S 50 east of Seymour when he lost control of his car, crossed the center line and collided head-on with another car. That crash killed 27-year-old Brad Castner.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Juan Juan was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol and he wasn't speeding, so the prosecutor's officer couldn't charge him with homicide or murder due to the case not meeting those standards. The only recourse for prosecutors was to charge him with another Class C misdemeanor for driving without ever receiving a license, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 60 days.
Chalfant said that there is no sentence enhancement for an unlicensed driver who causes a fatal crash. However, thanks to the passing of the Laken Riley Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on January 29th, prosecutors now had a way to deport Juan Juan.
The law allows for the deportation of "illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury." The act is named after a Georgia nursing student who was killed by a Venezuelan man who was in the United States illegally.
Juan Juan was not considered a violent offender, but because he was involved in a crash that killed someone he was now eligible for deportation under the law. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took him into custody on February 12th, initiating deportation proceedings.
Chalfant said that immigration is a growing problem in southern Indiana and estimates that there are thousands of undocumented individuals living in Jackson County. The Laken Riley Act gives authorities a tool for removing people in the country illegally who commit certain offenses. Chalfant said, "Thankfully, we have a new president and federal partners who are working to address these issues."
Rep. Erin Houchin said the administration was deporting thousands because of the newly passed law. She blasted the Biden administration for its previous policies. She said, "The wide-open border led to tragedies like the one we saw here and many others across the nation. Brad Castner should still be alive today. The illegal alien who took his life should've never been in our country."
Representatives said that the Laken Riley Act is already making an impact. Houchin said, "Criminal illegal aliens are being detained and deported before they can commit more crimes and destroy more families. I truly believe we will not see him back in the United States. He's a problem for Guatemala now."
FOX5 reported that Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) said in a statement, "President Trump's done just what he said he would do. He's addressed the issue and signed the bill. We're very proud of Mike Collins, who was the author of the bill that ensures that tragedies like this won't happen again."
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