White House Blasts Biden Border Policies in Wake of Florida Hammer Killing

The White House is drawing attention to the killing of a Florida mother, allegedly by an undocumented immigrant, to criticize President Biden's border policies. This comes as former President Donald Trump is scheduled to headline a midterm rally in Fort Myers, Florida.

White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital that the suspect, identified as Haitian national Rolbert Joachim, was "RELEASED into the country by the Biden administration" and later granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS). "This is the result of Democrats open-border policies. If you import the third world, you become the third world," Bis stated.

Joachim is accused of repeatedly striking a gas station clerk with a hammer outside a Fort Myers gas station in April. Surveillance video reportedly showed the suspect smashing the victim's windshield before attacking her. The victim, a mother of two, died at the scene. Fort Myers police, with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arrested Joachim. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Joachim entered the U.S. in August 2022 and was released into the country. A federal judge issued a removal order, but he later received TPS, which has since expired.

Trump previously commented on the killing in an April post on Truth Social, calling the surveillance video "one of the most vicious things you will ever see" and blaming the Biden administration for allowing the suspect into the country. He also stated, "This one killing should be enough for these Radical Judges to STOP impeding my Administration’s Immigration Policies."

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Joachim, who has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge. DHS has indicated that an immigration detainer was lodged against him and that he will face deportation regardless of the outcome of his criminal case.

The White House's focus on the case is timed with Trump's planned appearance at Florida Gulf Coast University's Alico Arena. Trump has historically performed well in Florida, carrying the state in his previous presidential campaigns. In Lee County, where Fort Myers is located, Trump won 63.6% of the vote in 2024.