By Hannah Davis
FAIR
Franklin Ramos and Johan Martinez, two illegal aliens from Venezuela, have been charged with capital murder in the killing of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray. Both suspects are currently being held in the Harris County jail on $10 million bond and ICE has also placed a detainer on both men. As confirmed by ICE last week, Ramos and Martinez are illegal aliens from Venezuela who were detained at the southern border and then released into the country, courtesy of the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
According to police, Jocelyn was brutally assaulted and murdered on June 16. While details of the crime are still surfacing, according to media reports Jocelyn went on a late-night walk in North Houston, Texas the night of June 16, when she was approached by two men at a convenience store, later identified as Franklin Jose Pena Ramos and Johan Rangel Martinez, 22. They reportedly lured her to a nearby bridge on West Rankin Road where they brutally assaulted Jocelyn, killed her, and tossed her body into a creek bed. According to Jocelyn’s autopsy report, she was found bound with rope and nude from the waist down, with multiple lacerations on her neck and back. Her cause of death was determined to be strangulation.
Surrounded by mourning family and friends, Jocelyn was laid to rest last Thursday. While the brutality of Jocelyn’s murder is deeply disturbing, what is particularly heartbreaking is that it was preventable – in more ways than one. First, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) arrested Franklin Ramos and Johan Martinez earlier this year in El Paso, Texas, for illegal entry. Due to the current administration’s catch-and-release policies, the two Venezuelans were released into the United States instead of being detained or expeditiously removed.
Second, instead of detaining or removing them, Franklin Ramos and Johan Martinez were enrolled in ICE’s Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program. Individuals released with ankle monitors via ATD are part of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP). Those under ISAP are required to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to ensure their compliance with the program. The purpose of ATD is to limit the number of detained individuals within ICE facilities, allowing the illegal aliens to have freedom while they await their court hearings.
According to sources at ICE, one of Jocelyn’s suspected murderers had previously been removed from the ISAP program by ICE for having no criminal history and for complying with his initial mandatory check-in. The Biden administration, in its quest to abolish ICE and decrease the use of detention, is using ATD as an excuse to release aliens, not using GPS tracking for the entire duration of an alien’s court proceedings, and not applying consequences for noncompliance (such as cutting off an ankle bracelet).
The other suspected murderer reportedly cut off his ankle monitor after the assault. That means that the illegal alien’s whereabouts are known to ICE because the ankle bracelet captures such data, which hopefully will help in the prosecution of the suspect, and lead to some semblance of justice for Ms. Nungaray’s family.
The lack of accountability in this case is not out of the ordinary for this administration. The best a White House spokesperson could offer was, “Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of Jocelyn Nungaray.” Secretary Mayorkas similarly refused to acknowledge the damage caused by his policies, and continues to recklessly promote ATD instead of detention, in order to facilitate the release of illegal aliens into the country.
With the Biden Administrating doubling down on its catch-and-release policies, it now falls to Congress and the states to act on behalf of Americans. Some Members have already taken positive steps. Congressman Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) introduced “The Reshape Alternatives to Detention Act” that would, if passed, require the “utilization of both biometric technology and GPS technology to ensure that law enforcement can pinpoint the exact location of illegal aliens” released into the country. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) introduced a companion bill in the U.S. Senate, stating, “Biden’s DHS is refusing to enforce the laws already on the books and making clear efforts to dismantle detention and allow illegal immigrants to roam free throughout the U.S. by abusing ATD. I’m pleased to introduce legislation to require the Administration to combat record-high illegal immigration and help secure our southern border.”
Most importantly, the Donalds-Haggerty legislation mandates that no alien be released on ATD unless all detention beds are full. Further, it requires that every alien on the non-detained docket be enrolled in ATD with mandatory GPS tracking throughout the duration of his/her immigration proceedings. An alien who resides within a sanctuary city, or a city with ordinances, provisions, or laws designed to restrict cooperation with federal immigration agencies, is ineligible to participate in ATD and must be detained.
In addition, under the legislative proposal, the Department of Homeland Security must provide notice to all relevant law enforcement if an alien violates the conditions of his/her ATD participation and becomes eligible for detention. This legislation will serve as a major deterrent to aliens contemplating skipping check-ins or cutting off their monitors.
Finally, the bill terminates the Case Management Pilot Program (CMPP), which provides federal funding to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that offer services to illegal aliens and the Young Adult Case Management Program (YACMP), which connects illegal aliens, ages 18-19, with community resources such as legal and housing assistance. As FAIR has pointed out, these programs are run by “abolish ICE” advocates and they reward lawbreakers with taxpayer-funded public benefits. The bill would redirect any funds previously allocated to these programs to be used to increase the number of detention beds within ICE facilities.
The Reshape Alternatives to Detention Act represents a crucial first step in addressing the increased threat to public safety posed by our open borders while proactively seeking to deter and prevent future crimes. Backed by numerous lawmakers, the Act, as described by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), “enforces our laws without compromise, shutting down the loopholes that have permitted non-citizens and illegal aliens to evade the strict standards we demand of every American.”
In short, if the Biden Administration is unwilling to enforce the law and protect the safety and security of Americans, Congress must step in and take what measures it can to help prevent horrific crimes like Jocelyn’s murder from ever happening. Until bills like these are passed, we will continue to hear more names – victims like Jocelyn Nungaray, Laken Riley, and Rachel Morin.
