The Laken Riley Act has been used to deport an illegal alien from Guatemala who caused a deadly crash in Indiana last year.
The alien, Domingo Juan Juan, was not charged with homicide or murder for the killing because he was sober and was not speeding.
On March 26, 2024, Juan Juan lost control of his vehicle, which he was driving without a license. He crossed the center line and got into a head-on collision, killing 27-year-old Brad Castner.
Juan Juan had two previous misdemeanor charges of driving without a license and has previously been deported.
Fox 59 reports:
The only recourse for prosecutors was to charge him with another Class C misdemeanor for driving without ever receiving a license, a charge carrying a maximum sentence of 60 days. There is no sentence enhancement for an unlicensed driver who causes a fatal crash, Chalfant said.
But the Laken Riley Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump on Jan. 29, provided a way for local officials to have Juan Juan deported.
The law allows for the deportation of “illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury.”
Juan Juan was picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on February 12.
The Laken Riley Act was named for a Georgia woman who was murdered by an illegal alien from Venezuela in 2024.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jeff Chalfant said that illegal aliens are becoming a serious problem in Indiana.
“Thankfully, we have a new president and federal partners who are working to address these issues,” Chalfant told Fox 59.
Rep. Erin Houchin said the new law is helping to deport thousands of illegal aliens.
“The wide-open border led to tragedies like the one we saw here and many others across the nation,” Houchin said. “Brad Castner should still be alive today. The illegal alien who took his life should’ve never been in our country.”
Fox 59 reports Rep. Houchin believes the law is “already making an impact.”
“Criminal illegal aliens are being detained and deported before they can commit more crimes and destroy more families,” she said.
“I truly believe we will not see him back in the United States,” Houchin said. “He’s a problem for Guatemala now.”
