A Biden-era decision could potentially keep a convicted murderer from being deported from the United States, at least while a key legal battle plays out in court. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested Salvadoran gang member Alexander Alfredo Palacios Guevara, who has a history of multiple murder convictions, including two counts of attempted murder dating back to 1994. According to an ICE spokesperson, Guevara was granted a deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture (CAT) by the Biden-era Board of Immigration Appeals on December 18.
Guevara, who is a member of the Surenos gang, was arrested in Los Angeles, which has become the center of recent anti-ICE civil unrest. The arrest has sparked significant public safety concerns, with ICE stating that the man should never have been allowed to roam the streets. The administration is now challenging the legality of the CAT deferral, asserting that it allowed a dangerous criminal to remain in the U.S. The Trump administration is accused of taking a more aggressive approach to immigration enforcement, with ICE asserting that a Biden-era decision has undermined public safety.
Following the arrest, Guevara was briefly released by ICE but was taken back into custody the next day due to the massive public safety risk. The case has also raised questions about the use of third-party removals, such as sending criminals to South Sudan, which was previously attempted with similar cases. A Boston federal judge recently ruled against such third-party removals, but the Department of Homeland Security is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling to overturn this decision. ICE is now preparing to challenge the legality of the deferral of removal, which is part of a broader debate over immigration policies and public safety.
The case highlights the ongoing tensions between the Trump and Biden administrations regarding immigration enforcement and the use of legal loopholes to grant deferrals. The public has also expressed concerns about the lack of judicial oversight under the Trump administration, with the ACLU lawyer warning that anyone could be picked up and deported without due process. As the legal battle continues, the nation’s eyes remain on Los Angeles, where anti-ICE protests and riots have drawn significant attention to the issue.