Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today pressed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson for answers about why federal immigration authorities released an illegally present alien and took no steps to remove him, consequently allowing him to remain unlawfully and later murder five people.
On June 13, 2016, Johnny Josue Sanchez, an alien from Honduras illegally present in the United States, allegedly murdered five people in Los Angeles by intentionally setting fire to the building in which they were sleeping. According to media reports, Sanchez was apprehended by Border Patrol agents after he unlawfully entered the United States in November 2012. He was then transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but released one week later after ICE determined that Sanchez did not have a prior criminal history or prior immigration violation. Prior to murdering five people, Sanchez was arrested on multiple drug charges and a domestic violence charge. He was also required to report to ICE, but stopped reporting. Despite these violations, ICE did not detain him or even place him in removal proceedings.
In their letter to Secretary Johnson, Chairmen Goodlatte and Grassley rebuke the Obama Administration’s failure to ensure the safety and security of the American public and request that DHS provide them with Sanchez’s immigration and criminal histories.
Read the Chairmen’s letter to Secretary Jeh Johnson here. Text of the letter is below.
June 27, 2016
The Honorable Jeh Johnson
Secretary
Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
Dear Secretary Johnson:
On June 13, 2016, Johnny Josue Sanchez, an alien from Honduras illegally present in the United States, allegedly murdered five people in Los Angeles by intentionally setting fire to the building in which they were sleeping. According to media reports, Sanchez was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol Agents after he unlawfully entered the United States in November 2012. He was then transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but released one week later after ICE determined that Sanchez did not have a prior criminal history or prior immigration violation. Reports indicate that Sanchez was ordered to report regularly to ICE, but according to ICE, he stopped reporting in August 2014 and for “unknown reasons” ICE did not initiate removal proceedings against him.
Sanchez was arrested in January 2016 for domestic violence. He was also arrested on drug charges in May and on June 8, five days before the alleged murders. Sanchez is now charged with murder and faces the death penalty.
In light of the fact that Sanchez is an illegally present alien, who was known to ICE but not placed in removal proceedings, it appears that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not taken all appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of the American public.
Therefore, please provide the following information no later than July 8, 2016:
As you know, the Privacy Act authorizes disclosure of information to committees of Congress. If you cannot fully respond to each and every request for documents or information set forth above, please identify the specific item requested to which you cannot fully respond and explain why you cannot respond.
Should you have any questions, please contact Tracy Short at (202) 225-3926 or Kathy Nuebel Kovarik at (202) 224-5225. Thank you for your cooperation.