A Democratic congressman has been reported to have "personally requested" a meeting with a notorious gang member and several other illegal immigrants with serious criminal records during a tour of a detention facility, as revealed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
In a recent visit to the Farmville Detention Center, an immigration detention facility located in central Virginia, Democratic Virginia Representative Don Beyer specifically asked to meet with several illegal immigrant detainees with severe criminal records, according to information exclusively shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation by the DHS.
Among the individuals Beyer sought to meet was Ricardo Hernando, a member of the 18th Street gang, previously convicted of parental kidnapping, abduction by force, burglary to commit armed larceny, and a host of other crimes.
The 18th Street gang, also known as Barrio 18, is a colossal criminal organization that originated in Los Angeles. The Department of Justice reports that this gang, with tens of thousands of members spread across the U.S., Mexico, and Central America, primarily generates revenue from drug distribution. Its members have been convicted of countless crimes, including homicide, drive-by shootings, and robberies.
"Congressman Beyer personally requested to meet with an 18th street gang member, drug trafficker, and repeat DUI offender who are in our country illegally," stated DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a public comment shared with the DCNF. "He continues to do the bidding of dangerous criminal illegal aliens that endanger his own constituents."
McLaughlin further questioned, "When will Congressman Beyer meet with the American victims of these illegal aliens violent crimes?"
In a statement to WRIC, a local news outlet, Beyer suggested that "maybe as many as three quarters" of the detainees were at the detention facility for a "civil reason," based on a conversation he had with the warden. The Virginia lawmaker also met with other detainees who reportedly had no criminal record, as reported by WRIC.
However, the DHS countered this claim, stating that 66% of the Farmville Detention Center detainees have been charged or convicted of crimes in the U.S. This figure does not even include potential criminal charges in their home countries.
In addition to meeting with Menendez, Beyer also met with Carlos Amaya, an MS-13 gang member convicted of four counts of assault and battery and three counts of gang participation, according to DHS. Beyer also met with Dennis Hernandez Medina, an illegal immigrant convicted of possession and distribution of drugs, and Kevin Mark Cash, an illegal immigrant convicted of drunk driving and two counts of reckless driving.
Across the nation, Democrats are working tirelessly to hinder the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. Tensions are escalating particularly over immigration detention centers. On July 30, a group of Democratic lawmakers filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in an attempt to gain unrestricted access to migrant detention centers. The lawsuit is currently being heard in a federal court in Washington, D.C.
Aaron Fritschner, a spokesman for Beyers office, stated to the DCNF, "Congressman Beyer recently exercised his lawful authority to conduct oversight of ICE facilities in Virginia with a visit to the Farmville Detention Center."
He added that as part of his efforts to assess conditions at the facility, Beyer requested meetings with several detainees, including individuals who have been held for extended periods in segregated confinement, have recently experienced mental health crises, or have seen significant delays in receiving medical treatment for serious health conditions.
Fritschner continued, "Federal regulations require minimum standards of care for all detainees, and unfortunately the medical resources at this facility were clearly woefully inadequate to meet those standards."
He suggested that improving these conditions would be a more productive use of time for the DHS staff than attacking Members of Congress for performing their duties by overseeing the Executive Branch.
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