Republican senators on Thursday announced an investigation into a onetime illegal immigrant “Dreamer” who police say plowed into a police officer motorcycle club out for a weekend ride, killing four of them.
Ivan Robles Navejas was in the country unlawfully and had a lengthy rap sheet, but had been granted special reprieves by the Obama administration.
He won DACA in 2013, about the same time as he was charged with resisting arrest. His DACA status lapsed two years later.
In 2016, he was charged with DUI, and came on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s radar but the agency didn’t pursue deportation because drunken driving wasn’t a serious enough offense to trigger deportation during the Obama administration.
Two years later he was back in trouble, charged with aggravated assault after police said he smashed his pickup into a man, pinning him to another vehicle, then biting his ear off. He had conditional permanent legal status at the time, so he didn’t come on ICE’s radar, the agency told The Washington Times.
Earlier this year he was out driving and plowed into the Thin Blue Line Motorcycle Club as it was out for a ride. Four club members were killed.
“We are disturbed by the fact that, despite these egregious charges, Mr. Navejas has been permitted to continue residing in the United States, further endangering our citizens,” wrote the GOP senators, led by Charles E. Grassley, the chamber’s senior member.
The senators asked ICE to produce Mr. Navejas’s complete file so the decisions made can be reviewed.
