Friday, 15 November 2024

Previously Deported Illegal Migrant Charged In Connection With 3-Month-Old Baby’s Death


Tiny newborn baby feet in a yellow blanket, infant body, baby care(Getty Images)

An illegal migrant who was deported previously has been charged in connection with the death of a three-month-old baby in the Houston area.

Melvin Jesus Aquino Enriquez, 26, was arrested and charged with assault, family violence, and injury to a child causing serious bodily injury. He is being held at Montgomery County Jail on a $750,000 bond.

On April 14, a severely injured three-month-old baby was taken to a local hospital.

Three days later, Enriquez was charged, and a week later on April 21, the baby succumbed to its injuries and died. An autopsy of the child’s death is pending.

Authorities said Enriquez lived in a home in Porter with a woman and the baby and determined he was also responsible for the child’s injuries. They also said he had choked the woman.

Enriquez is a “previously removed Mexican national,” who entered the U.S. illegally “on an unknown date and at an unknown location without inspection, admission or parole by an immigration officer,” an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson told Fox News.

Back in March 2020, ICE officers in the Houston area encountered Enriquez at the Harris County, Texas jail after he was arrested for criminal trespass, the ICE spokesperson said. The next month, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office transferred Enriquez into ICE custody and he was ultimately removed from the U.S. to Mexico, the spokesperson said.

However, Enriquez again entered the country “on an unknown date and at an unknown location,” the ICE spokesperson said, and ICE has again placed a hold on Enriquez due to his immigration status.

Authorities said more charges could be brought against Enriquez.

“Our office, alongside the community, mourns the tragic loss of this young life. We are committed to ensuring justice is served and are determined to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future,” the sheriff’s office said.

The unprecedented migrant crisis at the border continues to worsen with about 9.5 million illegal migrant encounters nationwide since President Biden took office. Meanwhile, about 1.7 million migrants have become illegal “gotaways,” compared to only 445,000 total reported gotaways from 2018 to 2020 under the Trump administration.

Immigration has become the top issues for voters as the election cycle heats up. In April, Americans said illegal immigration is the biggest problem facing the country for the third month in a row, according to Gallup.

Major cities are scrambling to deal with an influx of tens of thousands of new illegal migrants. New York City and Chicago are under particular stress as city leaders stretch the budget to feed and house thousands of newcomers.


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