Screenshot / X; Screenshot / YouTube, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto; Screenshot / Washoe County Jail, Cropped by Resist the Mainstream

Elmer Rueda-Linares, the 18-year-old arrested in connection with the death of an adviser to U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) was in the country illegally, sparking fury online.

ICE says Rueda-Linares was arrested at the Texas border in March 2021, then released into the U.S. in June 2021, leading some users on X to blame the tragedy on Democrats' “open border” policies.

Reno Gazette Journal's (RGJ) Mark Robison reported that Rueda-Linares was involved in a two-vehicle crash on April 6, resulting in the death of Kurt Englehart, a senior adviser to Cortez Masto, a Democrat.

Federal officers placed an immigration detainer, also known as an “ICE hold,” on Rueda-Linares April 8.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to RGJ he is currently detained at Washoe County Jail, as of Tuesday. His next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

The sheriff's office has updated the initial charge against Rueda-Linares from felony hit-and-run to failing to stop at the scene of an accident. He is currently detained on $100,000 bail.

DHS said in a statement that “Rueda entered the United States March 12, 2021, at or near the Rio Grande City, Texas, Port of Entry without inspection by an immigration official.”

“United States Customs and Border Protection arrested him, and he was later released on his own recognizance June 22, 2021,” it added.

RGJ reports that an immigration detainer is a formal request made by ICE to local law enforcement agencies to hold a “removable noncitizen” for up to 48 hours beyond the time they would typically be released.

This allows federal officers to assume custody and proceed with deportation proceedings, and the practice is deemed safer because it enables the arrest of individuals in a secure and controlled environment rather than in the broader community.

Cortez Masto spokesperson Lauren Wodarski told RGJ on Tuesday “Sen. Cortez Masto looks forward to justice being served and has confidence in the local police and prosecutors.” However, some commentators online have highlighted that Cortez Masto's messaging on the open border crisis is part of what led to this fatally.

“On April 6th, Kurt Englehart, an advisor to Sen. Cortez Masto (D), was tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident caused by illegal immigrant, Elmer Rueda-Linares,” Courtney Holland explained on X Wednesday. “*TWO DAYS* before Rueda-Linares illegally entered the U.S. on March 12, 2021, Cortez Masto claimed that there were “no open borders” in an interview with MSNBC on March 10, 2021.”

WATCH:

“While Democrats continue to deny we have an open border, American lives continue to be at risk. Kurt Englehart should still be here today,” she added. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

Libs Of TikTok weighed in on the story too, writing, “Kurt leaves behind a child who will now grow up without a father. Biden’s Border Bloodbath has claimed another innocent life.”

Robby Starbuck lamented, “Wow. An illegal immigrant driving under the influence KILLED a longtime staffer for Democrat Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. The illegal came recently in 2021.”

“Senate Democrats help illegals flood our country and Americans pay the price,” he added. “Treasonous.”