Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is demanding answers from the Obama administration about how an individual with alleged gang ties and recently charged in the murder of several people — including former “America’s Top Model” contestant Mirjana Puhar — was granted deferred status.
According to Grassley, the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Emmanuel Jesus Rangel-Hernandez — currently charged with first degree murder in Charlotte, North Carolina — allegedly has known gang affiliation but was granted amnesty under Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
In a letter to DHS Sec. Jeh Johnson, Grassley requests more details about the circumstances of Rangel-Hernandez’s deferred status.
“Mr. Rangel-Hernandez allegedly applied for and received deferred action under the President’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program,” Grassley writes in the letter dated Friday going on to request information from Rangel-Hernandez’s immigration files as well as details about his alleged DACA status.
Read the letter:
Dear Secretary Johnson:
According to press accounts, Emmanuel Jesus Rangel-Hernandez has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of four individuals in Charlotte, North Carolina, including Mirjana Puhar, a former contestant on “America’s Next Top Model.” Mr. Rangel-Hernandez allegedly applied for and received deferred action under the President’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Please provide to the Committee a copy of 1) the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) alien file on Rangel-Hernandez; 2) any information collected or maintained on Rangel-Hernandez by Immigration and Customs Enforcement; 3) any information collected or maintained on Rangel-Hernandez by U.S. Customs and Border Protection; 4) any other information collected or maintained on Rangel-Hernandez by the Department of Homeland Security.
In addition, please answer the following questions:
1. Did Rangel-Hernandez ever apply for DACA? If so, was his application approved? Please provide copies of his DACA application.
2. Did USCIS know or have reason to know that Rangel-Hernandez was a gang member at the time his DACA application was approved? If so, please provide the details about how and when the Department knew of any gang affiliation and explain why his DACA application would be approved despite the gang affiliation.
3. If approved for DACA, has Rangel-Hernandez’s DACA grant been terminated? Has his employment authorization been terminated? If so, when? If not, why not?
I request that the Department respond to this letter no later than March 9, 2015. Should you have any questions, please contact Kathy Nuebel of my Committee staff…. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Grassley
Chairman
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
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