An illegal alien from Honduras, released into the United States under the Biden administration's catch-and-release policy, shot a Tennessee man in the face and received probation — until ICE finally took him into custody this month.
This is open-border policy made flesh. Aldo David Herrera-Andino, 22, crossed the southern border illegally in March 2021. Border Patrol arrested him. Then, under the Biden administration's catch-and-release directives, he was let go into the American interior. A man in Davidson County now fights for his life because the federal government decided a foreign national's unlawful presence on U.S. soil was not worth preventing.
According to Breitbart News, Herrera-Andino pleaded guilty last month to felony reckless aggravated assault after shooting the victim in the face and fleeing the scene. A Davidson County judge sentenced him to five years of probation. Probation — for shooting a man in the face.
ICE spokesperson Micah Bock laid it out: "Herrera-Andino shot a man in the face, left him fighting for his life, and fled the scene. He later admitted to the shooting and pleaded guilty to felony aggravated assault."
"Violent offenders like Herrera-Andino have no business remaining in our communities," Bock added. "ICE will continue holding them accountable and removing those who threaten Americans. The Trump administration's message is simple: If you come to this country illegally and commit violent crimes, ICE will find you, arrest you, and pursue your removal."
Notice what had to happen before removal was pursued: an American had to take a bullet to the face first. The system did not prevent Herrera-Andino from entering. It did not prevent his release. And after he shot a man, a local judge gave him probation — meaning the illegal alien who nearly killed an American was walking free until federal authorities stepped in.
Enforcement and Removal Operations' Scott Ladwig stated: "ICE is committed to protecting communities by arresting and removing illegal aliens who commit serious crimes. Through targeted enforcement operations and close coordination with our law enforcement partners, ICE will continue to pursue individuals who threaten public safety and uphold the rule of law."
The rule of law is doing heavy lifting in that statement. When an illegal alien can cross the border, get released, shoot a citizen in the face, and receive probation, the rule of law has already broken down. ICE's arrest after the fact is cleanup, not enforcement.
Meanwhile, the broader asylum system remains riddled with fraud. The Gateway Pundit reported this month on ICE publicly rebuking CBS's 60 Minutes for a "shockingly poorly researched" story that backed an African illegal alien's gay asylum claim — a claim ICE contradicted with evidence. If the system can be gamed with fabricated persecution stories, and violent offenders are released on probation, the question is not whether Americans will be harmed again. It is when — and which official will have to explain why the policies that enabled it were ever allowed to stand.
Biden's catch-and-release policy put Herrera-Andino in Davidson County. A Davidson County judge kept him there after he shot a man. Two systems — federal and local — failed the same American. Neither has answered for it.
