DV Journal

(This article first appeared in Broad + Liberty.)

To protest the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and operations ordered by President Trump, some businesses in Philadelphia and across the country protested against the president’s deportation of illegal immigrant criminals with a “Day Without Immigrants” on February 3rd.

The anti-Trumpers urged illegal immigrants to forgo reporting to work, attending classes, and spending money, which they claim will point out dramatically just how vital illegal immigrants are to the American economy.

The protest did not cause a ripple in the economy. And one should note that the illegal immigrants that ICE is deporting are hardly working honest jobs or attending classes. They are mostly hardened criminals who are preying on American citizens, just as they preyed on innocent victims in the counties they fled.

Who are the illegals getting the boot from the United States?

On January 25th, ICE in Philadelphia removed Raymundo Rojas Bacilio, a Mexican citizen. Rojas is a foreign fugitive wanted by law enforcement authorities in Mexico for rape.

“The removal of the criminal alien Raymundo Rojas Bacilio, a sexual predator, underscores the critical importance of our enforcement actions. His repeated illegal entries into the United States and his heinous criminal acts posed a significant threat to the safety and security of our communities,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Brian McShane. “This removal demonstrates that we will relentlessly pursue and remove those who endanger the American public.”

According to ICE, the U.S. Border Patrol arrested Rojas near Nogales, Arizona on January 6, 2012, for entering the United States without admission or parole by an immigration official. The Border Patrol served him with a notice and order of expedited removal, charging inadmissibility, and removed him from the to Mexico.

Border Patrol agents arrested Rojas near Nogales, Arizona, on Jan. 12, 2012, for entering the U.S. without admission by an immigration official. Once again, the Border Patrol served him with a notice and order of expedited removal charging inadmissibility and removed Rojas to Mexico on Jan. 15, 2012.

Mexican authorities in Mexico issued an arrest warrant for Rojas for rape on May 31, 2013. Rojas again entered the U.S. without admission or parole by an immigration official on an unknown date and at an unknown location.

The Kings County Supreme Court in Brooklyn, New York, convicted Rojas for forcible touching of the intimate parts of another person on Nov. 11, 2024. The court sentenced him to incarceration for 60 days, probation for six years, and required him to register as a sex offender.

ICE arrested Rojas in Corona, New York during a targeted enforcement action on Dec. 17, 2024, and served him a notice of intent to reinstate the prior order of removal. He remained in ICE custody pending removal.

On January 31, ICE removed Francisco Javier Melendez Torres, an El Salvador citizen. Melendez is a foreign fugitive wanted by law enforcement authorities in El Salvador for aggravated rape of a minor and sexual harassment.

“The removal of Francisco Javier Melendez Torres, a dangerous criminal alien wanted for aggravated rape of a minor in El Salvador, highlights the dangers individuals like him pose to our communities,” said Brian McShane. “ICE is committed to ensuring that dangerous individuals like Melendez Torres do not find safe harbor in the United States and do not further threaten the American public.”

On February 4th, ICE removed Serafin Leon Rojas, a Mexican citizen. He is a foreign fugitive wanted by law enforcement authorities in Mexico for domestic violence.

“The removal of Serafin Leon Rojas demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that criminal aliens face justice,” said Brian McShane. “By collaborating with our international law enforcement partners and enforcing immigration laws, we protect our communities and support our national security objectives.”

According to ICE, the U.S. Border Patrol arrested Leon near Laredo, Texas, for entering the United States without inspection or parole by an immigration official and served him with a notice and order of expedited removal, charging inadmissibility. He was removed to Mexico on July 23, 2016. Leon again entered the U.S. without admission or parole by an immigration official on an unknown date and at an unknown location.

The Philadelphia Police Department in Pennsylvania arrested Leon on August 7, 2024, for driving under the influence, and this charge remains pending. ICE arrested Leon in Philadelphia on December 12, 2024, during a routine enforcement action and served him with a notice of intent to reinstate the prior order from July 21, 2016, charging removability. Leon remained in ICE custody throughout removal proceedings.

On February 10, in Lynn, Massachusetts, ICE lodged an immigration detainer against Eric Dionida German-Pena, 25, a native and citizen of the Dominican Republic, following his apprehension in Lynn for his alleged role in the murder of a Massachusetts sandwich shop owner during an apparent home-invasion robbery.

“Eric Dionida German-Pena will have his day in court, but he stands accused of a very serious and disturbing crime against a member of our Massachusetts community. ICE Boston takes its public safety mission extremely seriously — which is why we’ve lodged an immigration detainer against him with Lynn police,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has charged him with murder, and with the cooperation of the Lynn District Court, we intend to take him into ICE custody after he has paid his debt to society. ICE Boston will continue our mission of arresting and removing egregious alien offenders from New England.”

The Lynn Police Department police arrested German February 5 and charged him with the murder. ICE discovered that German illegally entered the United States in September 2022.

These are only some of the illegal immigrant criminals that the Trump administration is sending back to their countries to face justice. If the deported criminals escape justice in their home countries, they will find it much more difficult to reenter the U.S. now that the president has increased border security.

As its first order of business, the new Congress fulfilled a campaign pledge made by Republican candidates and President Trump to strengthen federal immigration enforcement. Area U.S.

Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) and newly elected Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh), along with their Republican colleagues and almost a quarter of Democrats, passed the Laken Riley Act, named after the Georgia nursing student murdered last year by a Venezuelan man in the U.S. illegally and previously charged with shoplifting in New York. Now, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be required to detain and deport illegal immigrants charged with certain crimes, including theft and causing death or serious bodily injury.

With new obligations on ICE and a presidential administration that is now focused on addressing illegal immigration, we must ensure that Pennsylvania is doing its part to protect our citizens and other legal residents. That’s why I recently joined my State Senate colleagues Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) and Wayne Langerholc (R-Cambria) to sponsor legislation requiring county district attorneys and the state Attorney General to notify ICE whenever they learn during the course of a criminal proceeding that a defendant is not in this country legally. This change will guarantee ICE can detain and deport an illegalimmigrant charged with a crime.

This bill was passed out of the Senate with a bipartisan, veto-proof majority last session but was not even given consideration by the Democrat-majority State House. The House’s lack of action, and Gov. Shapiro’s failure to lead on efforts to stop illegal immigration, have given cover to those municipalities that are considered “sanctuary cities” and in some cases openly defy ICE orders to detaiillegal immigrants after arrest.

We need to keep the City of Philadelphia, Bucks, Lehigh, and Northampton counties, and every other Pennsylvania municipality from appearing on any list of sanctuary cities that don’t fully cooperate with ICE. Those of us in the Pennsylvania legislature who support upholding our immigration laws have a new ally in President Trump’s Department of Justice, which is now making clear that “state and local [entities must] comply with the Executive Branch’s immigration enforcement initiatives” and that “state and local laws, policies, and activities that are inconsistent with Executive Branch immigration initiatives” may be subject to federal legal action.

In warning Congress about the cost of implementing the Laken Riley Act, the Homeland Security Department under former President Biden estimated it might need more than 10,000 enforcement personnel and 110,000 detention beds. To me, this is a clear admission by the federal government of the scope of the problem and the reason we must more effectively enforce our immigration laws. Why would we knowingly risk allowing thousands of illegal immigrants who have been arrested for serious crimes to be released and possibly commit crimes elsewhere, rather than detain and deport them through ICE?

The legal residents of Upper Macungie Township, Lower Milford Township, Quakertown and everywhere in between deserve better than that. I don’t want to have to learn about another Laken Riley. Or Jocelyn Nungaray, the 12-year-old from Texas who was raped and strangled to death by alleged assailants here illegally from Venezuela. Or the two New York City police officers brutally attacked by an illegal alien in 2023, months after the man got out of jail on theft charges. There are too many tragedies, too many American families hurt, that could have been avoided if ICE and our state and local authorities were aligned on upholding our immigration laws.

I want to use my position as a Pennsylvania State Senator to be part of the solution. I want to protect law-abiding citizens and put all levels of government on notice that ICE must be notified if an illegal immigrant has been arrested in their jurisdiction for another crime. I look forward to my legislation passing the Senate and hope the House and Governor Shapiro will join in this bipartisan effort to assist ICE in enforcing our immigration laws.