U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported Marcelo Vasquez Reyna, a Mexican national convicted of sexually abusing his daughter in Virginia. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described Vasquez Reyna as a "depraved freak" and stated that "criminals like this sicko have NO sanctuary in our nation."
Records from the Albemarle County Circuit Criminal Division indicate Vasquez Reyna pleaded guilty in March to a charge involving a parent violating a child between the ages of 15 and 17. The incident occurred in 2018. He received a sentence of five years and six months, with five years suspended. Local outlet ABC 7 reported that Vasquez Reyna was also charged with attempted rape and abduction following his March conviction.
According to The Daily Progress, Vasquez Reyna had been repeatedly arrested on charges of groping his teenage daughter and attempting to rape her, causing her to live in fear.
This deportation occurs as parts of Virginia have experienced multiple crimes involving individuals without legal status. In Fairfax County, north of Albemarle County, several high-profile cases have been reported. ICE lodged a detainer in July for Nehemia Noel Fuentes-Banegas, whom DHS stated ambushed a Fairfax County police officer. DHS reported that Fuentes-Banegas emerged from a wooded area and attempted to disarm an officer who responded to a report of a man armed with knives. A service weapon was discharged by one officer while another deployed a Taser, resulting in Fuentes-Banegas sustaining a graze wound to the shoulder.
Another case in Fairfax County involved Israel Flores Ortiz, then 18, who was accused of groping underage girls at a local high school.
These incidents have brought scrutiny to the immigration policies of Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger. Early in her term, Spanberger rescinded an executive order from her predecessor that directed state law enforcement to assist federal immigration authorities. She also ordered the termination of all 287(g) agreements with ICE and prohibited the use of state property for federal civil immigration enforcement staging or operational purposes.