Steve Cortes, Founder of the League of American Workers, said a fatal crash in North Carolina allegedly caused by an illegal immigrant with prior deportations demonstrates the consequences of weak border policies, calling for immediate action to safeguard residents.
“North Carolina is grieving because the system chose excuses over enforcement and put dangerous repeat offenders back on our roads,” said Cortes. “How many more North Carolinians have to die before Washington stops treating border security like an optional suggestion. America First means protecting North Carolina families first.”
According to Old North News, the statement was provided in response to an article detailing a fatal crash in North Carolina where an illegal immigrant, deported multiple times, reportedly caused the death of a local resident. The article included remarks from former state Representative Jeanne Ives on the risks posed by inadequate immigration enforcement and repeated calls for stricter border security to prevent such tragedies.
In North Carolina, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests of illegal immigrants increased 170% in 2025, reaching 1,822 individuals. Of these arrests, 46% had criminal convictions and 20% were arrested solely for immigration violations. This rise focuses on removing serious offenders, including gang members and those charged with assault. Despite this focus, local policies have released nearly 500 individuals charged with violent crimes like homicide, ignoring federal detainers.
Nationally, U.S. Border Patrol reported 17,048 arrests of criminal aliens in a recent fiscal year. These included 1,566 arrests for drug trafficking and 29 for homicide. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) enforcement operations have captured thousands of convicted criminals such as sex offenders and murderers. Over 425,000 convicted noncitizens are currently on ICE’s docket, highlighting the presence of dangerous individuals due to prior lax policies.
Cortes is a political commentator born in Chicago in 1972 and a former financial strategist with 25 years in capital markets at firms like Prudential Financial. He advised Donald Trump’s campaigns on Hispanic outreach and founded the League of American Workers in 2022 to promote America First policies while endorsing strong border security and economic nationalism.
