A Venezuelan illegal immigrant who shot a police officer in Texas should have been deported last year. Jorge Chacon-Gutierrez crossed the border into the Lone Star State in 2023 with around 600 others. He was processed for “expedited removal” until he decided to claim asylum, saying he would be persecuted in his home country. That attempt initially failed, but Chacon-Gutierrez then took his case before an immigration judge, who ruled that he could stay in America and fight his case.
An unnamed official from the Department of Homeland Security has told journalists that the Venezuelan’s case demonstrates “so many loopholes” in the immigration system that are easily exploited by illegal immigrants determined to remain inside US borders.
The illegal immigrant died during a shootout that began in San Antonio in July when police responded to a domestic violence call. Police Chief William McManus told reporters that when the responding officers reached the apartment, they found Chacon-Gutierrez in bed with a rifle lying next to him. He picked up the gun and started firing at the police. Officers fired back and quickly left the apartment to wait for a SWAT team to assess the situation fully. When the SWAT team arrived, they declared Chacon-Gutierrez dead but could not say whether he took his own life or died from a police bullet.
GOP lawmakers immediately lashed out at the Biden administration, which it blamed for “Another horrific, preventable act of violence.” Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee described the White House migration policy as one of “mass catch-and-release.” Rep. Tony Gonzalez of Texas expressed similar sentiments, saying, “These are the consequences of failed catch & release policies.”
One San Antonio police officer was injured in the altercation and underwent surgery in a Texas hospital on July 27. Police have not released her name but said her injuries are not life-threatening. She has been with the San Antonio Police Department for less than three years. “The officer is in good spirits but has a long road to recovery ahead of her,” a spokesperson said.
