A new case of an illegal immigrant being named the suspect in a homicide is again drawing attention to the issue of immigration in an already contentious election year.
According to the Post Millennial, Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 25, was arraigned in Grand Rapids on Tuesday on six charges, including murder, carjacking, felony firearm possession, illegally carrying a concealed weapon, operating while intoxicated and driving on a suspended or revoked license. No bond was set.
WOOD-TV reports that Ortiz-Vite admitted to killing 25-year-old Ruby Garcia with a handgun he purchased illegally. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said at a news conference on Tuesday that Ortiz-Vite and Garcia had been in a relationship and the shooting appears to be a case of domestic violence.
Ortiz-Vite, who school administrators say graduated in 2017 from Wyoming High School, has had several run-ins with local law enforcement, including drunk driving, driving without a valid license, and illegal entry into a residence, according to WOOD-TV.
A citizen of Mexico, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also confirmed that Ortiz-Vide has been in the United States illegally re-entering the U.S. at an unknown date after being deported in 2020 during the Trump Administration.
Conservatives on X, formerly Twitter, wasted no time drawing attention to the fact that Ortiz-Vite returned after President Joe Biden took office.
RNC Research posted a photo of the suspect’s mugshot with, “This is Brandon Ortiz-Vite, an illegal alien charged with shooting a 25-year-old Grand Rapids, Michigan, woman, and leaving her body on the side of the road. Yet another horrific consequence of Biden’s OPEN BORDER.”
This is Brandon Ortiz-Vite, an illegal alien charged with shooting a 25-year-old Grand Rapids, Michigan, woman, and leaving her body on the side of the road.
Yet another horrific consequence of Biden's OPEN BORDER. pic.twitter.com/iIry73v2RU
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 26, 2024
The issue of criminals illegally entering the United States became a campaign issue recently because the alleged perpetrator for the murder of Georgia college student Laken Riley is believed to be a former member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA). Jose Ibarra, 26, was listed as part of the TdA gang on internal Department of Homeland Security documents seen by The New York Post.
Ibarra was first detained for illegally crossing into the U.S. in September 2022 in El Paso, Texas. However, he was released on parole after less than 24 hours and allowed to stay in the country with no restrictions until a hearing scheduled for October 2024.
