Knife death fuels Florida immigration criticism – CBS Miami

[ad_1]

MIAMI (CBSMiami / AP) A stabbing death in Florida fueled criticism of the federal government’s immigration handling after local authorities discovered the suspect had lied about his identity and had recently been apprehended crossing the US-Mexico border.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’s office, which alerted reporters to the case before the man was charged, cites reports that the 24-year-old suspect posed as a teenager at the border in order to cross as an unaccompanied minor through federal officials have not confirmed that or explained how he ended up in Florida. DeSantis’ office says the case shows inadequate verification as well as a lack of transparency in how the Biden administration transports immigrants who cross illegally.

READ MORE: Port Everglades returns to pre-pandemic days with 6 ships sailing, carrying thousands of passengers

The suspect, Yery Medina Ulloa, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a second degree murder charge.

With proper screening, border officials should have determined that Medina Ulloa was not a minor, that she was dishonest about her true identity and that she should not be free to move around our country, the door said. -speaking of Governor Christina Pushaw in an e-mail.

DeSantis, who is running for re-election and is considering a 2024 presidential run, has taken a tough stance on illegal immigration.

He has been attacking President Joe Biden’s administration for months, alleging in a lawsuit that Bidens’ policies are drawing more immigrants to the border.

A recent review by The Associated Press and AIM Media Texas also showed how unprepared Biden was for the huge increase in the number of people seeking refuge at the border at different times of the year.

It is still unclear how Medina Ulloa from Honduras was treated upon arrival in the United States.

The Jacksonville State Attorney’s Office said he was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol earlier this year, but could not confirm if he was using a different identity when this happened.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the border patrol, did not respond to questions about the case.

On October 7, Medina Ulloa was found covered in blood by witnesses near a pond in Jacksonville.

READ MORE: Woman killed in motorway crash involving multiple vehicles

A witness says he received a call from Medina Ulloa where he said he killed Francisco Cuellar because he hit him.

Cuellar was found dead on the floor of his living room.

Witnesses say he stayed in Cuellars’ house and called him uncle, but they were unrelated.

He was first arrested and placed in a juvenile detention center after giving the sheriff’s deputies a different name and saying he was 17.

Six days later, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement obtained his true identity from the Honduran consulate, according to court documents.

A woman who identified herself as her mother in Jutiquile, Honduras, told the Spanish-language program Univision that he used a different name when meeting with border officials so that he could be placed in a refuge.

The US Department of Health and Human Services said it is not commenting on individual cases and has not confirmed whether the man has been taken into custody, as happens when minors are found by the patrol border.

About 13% of children who were released from government custody in August, the last month for which statistics are available, went with people who were either distant or unrelated relatives.

The government usually requires documents proving that the relationship with the child or the child’s family existed before the child migrated to the United States.

Medina Ulloa’s public defender did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.

MORE NEWS: Hurricanes rally to beat Georgia Tech 33-30

(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

[ad_2]