GOP Senators Demand Information on Illegal Who Killed Two in Louisiana Crash

Denis Yasmir Amaya Rodriguez
Louisiana State Police

Republican lawmakers are demanding that President Barack Obama’s deputies release the full criminal and immigration history of the migrant bus driver who killed a fire chief and a young man in Louisiana.

Illegal alien Denis Yasmir Amaya Rodriguez was driving a bus of hired illegal workers who were being imported from other states for cleanup after the recent historic floods. But he ran headlong into a group of police and fire vehicles who were clearing a road accident in St. John the Baptist Parish.

The illegal driver’s carelessness led to the deaths of St. John the Baptist Parish Fire Chief Spencer Chauvin and 21-year-old Jermaine Starr. The accident also injured more than 30 other individuals.

The Louisiana State Police said the driver of the bus was a 37-year-old Honduran national, illegally living in the United States and driving without a license or insurance.

U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.), Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) have now sent a letter to Jeh Johnson, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), demanding the background information.

“This past Sunday, two American lives were tragically cut short in a bus crash in St. John the Baptist Parish, and my thoughts and prayers remain with their families,” said Vitter.

As we continue looking into the circumstances surrounding the bus crash, it’s troubling to know that the driver responsible is an illegal alien who did not have the proper documentation to be legally driving in the United States. This tragedy absolutely could have been prevented, and it’s important for Secretary Johnson to cooperate in investigating the illegal alien who took two innocent American lives on Sunday, including any prior criminal activity.

“Sadly, this is yet another story in a long line of stories where innocent American citizens have been killed or injured by an illegal alien who has complete disregard for the laws of this nation,” the three lawmakers added.

The Senators are requesting records related to Rodriguez’s immigration history, when he entered the United States, whether he applied for immigration benefits, such as deferred deportation, plus details on any immigration court orders, proceedings, or notices and detainer or notification requests.

The letter also asks for any details on the illegal entrant’s criminal history, including prior arrests, charges, etc., as well as explanations for any releases from custody. The Senators are also asking about any affiliations with criminal gangs and whether Rodriguez would have been considered an enforcement priority prior to the fatal bus crash based on his previous encounters with law enforcement.

In addition, the Senators are seeking details on the company that chartered the bus.

The Senators want to know how Rodriguez was allowed to drive the bus without a proper license, and whether immigration authorities are examining the immigration status of the bus’s other passengers. Finally, the Senators are asking whether immigration authorities have been in contact with victims or their families regarding the incident.

The letter was sent to DHS on August 30.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.

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