An illegal migrant who was arrested for allegedly stealing a womanâs vehicle and then killing her with it in northern Virginia on Sunday was given a driverâs license by the state of California.
Jose Aguilar-Martinez is suspected of stealing a vehicle belonging to Melody Waldecker, a 54-year-old grandmother to eight, as she stepped into a local 7-Eleven in Sterling, Virginia, ultimately running her over and killing her when she attempted to stop the crime, according to NBC4. Aguilar-Martinez is a Salvadoran national with no fixed address but was able to obtain a California driverâs license before his alleged involvement in the fatal carjacking incident, according to a press release by the Loudoun County Sheriffâs Office.
âThis is a horrific tragedy, and we mourn the death of Melody Waldecker as the result of the heinous actions by a suspect in our nation illegally,â Sheriff Mike Chapman said in a statement Wednesday. âThis is another reminder of why it is essential that localities collaborate with our federal counterparts charged with enforcing U.S. Immigration laws.â
The Salvadoran national was arraigned on the carjacking charge on Tuesday, and Loudoun County Commonwealthâs attorney is expected to file more charges, according to the sheriffâs office. He remains in the countyâs custody under no bond.
Aguilar-Martinez unlawfully entered the U.S. on an unknown date and unknown location, ICE confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation. The agency lodged an Immigration detainer for the 21-year-old Salvadoran national on Monday with the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, requesting they eventually transfer custody of him to their deportation officers.
The Loudoun County Sheriffâs Office emphasized on Wednesday that it cooperates with federal Immigration authorities âas a matter of practice,â nearly ensuring that their office will honor the detainer request on Aguilar-Martinez. Since fiscal year 2023 to date, ICE issued 479 detainers for noncitizens arrested in Loudoun County for criminal offenses, resulting in the deportation of nearly 100 of them, according to the Loudoun County Sheriffâs Office.
California has offered driverâs licenses to illegal migrants since January 2015, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. A total of 19 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws that allow noncitizens living in the country unlawfully to obtain driverâs licenses.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom doubled down on the stateâs policy by signing AB 1766, referred to as the âCA ID for Allâ bill, into law in 2022 that allows illegal migrants who are not drivers to obtain identification cards.
Providing licenses to illegal migrants remains a controversial issue. When New York Stateâs âGreen Light Lawâ went into effect in 2019, allowing illegal migrants to obtain driverâs licenses, numerous county clerks said they would refuse to comply, citing safety concerns.
Then-acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf ordered the Department of Homeland Security in 2020 to conduct a large-scale review of state laws that allow migrants to obtain licenses.
âLaws like New Yorkâs greenlight law have dangerous consequences that have far reaches beyond the DMV,â a DHS spokesperson said at the time of Wolfâs order. âThese types of laws make it easier for terrorists and criminals to obtain fraudulent documents and also prevent DHS investigators from accessing important records that help take down child pornography and human trafficking rings and combat everything from terrorism to drug smuggling.â
The California governorâs office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.
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