"Where Is Judicial Justice?" Suspect in Fatal Red-Light Accident Deported by ICE Without Punishment, Sparking Controversy

Deported Abroad Immediately After Court Appearance
Victim's Family Criticizes "Loophole in the Law" as Outcry Grows

Controversy has arisen after it was belatedly revealed that a suspect accused of causing the death of a woman by hitting her with a vehicle while she was crossing a crosswalk at an intersection in Las Vegas, Nevada, in June last year, left the United States before facing punishment in a U.S. court.

On the 28th, Yonhap News TV, citing local U.S. media outlet 8 News, reported that it was only recently discovered that a suspect facing criminal charges had left the United States before being prosecuted in a U.S. court, sparking controversy.

Franco was detained again by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immediately after being released from jail, and about 26 days after his arrest, on July 15 last year, he received voluntary departure permission from an immigration judge and left the United States. Yonhap News TV

The Las Vegas Police Department in Nevada arrested Angel Franco (37) on charges of causing the death of Amber Brown (33) in a traffic accident in June last year. At the time, Franco was accused of running a red light at an intersection in Las Vegas and hitting Brown, who was crossing the crosswalk with the green light, resulting in her death. On the day of the accident, Brown's mother, Sherry Brown, was unable to reach her daughter and used a location-tracking application to search for her whereabouts. While inquiring at a nearby hospital, she reportedly learned that her daughter was at the coroner's office.

Prosecutors swiftly indicted Franco, and the day after his arrest, he appeared at the Las Vegas District Court for a detention warrant hearing. The court set bail at $50,000, which Franco paid the following day. However, immediately after being released from jail, Franco was detained again by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). About 26 days after his arrest, on July 15 last year, he received voluntary departure permission from an immigration judge and left the United States. According to court records, Franco was deported to Guatemala.

On September 2 last year, while Franco was overseas, the court waived his bail, effectively closing the case. The victim's family strongly objected. Brown's mother stated, "No one should be able to evade punishment simply because they are from another country," and added, "Justice has not been served." Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said that ICE did not provide prior notice regarding the deportation process, stating, "They took the suspect before we were even aware." Although the United States and Guatemala have an extradition treaty for the transfer of fugitives, local media reported that it is unclear whether the treaty applies in cases where voluntary departure is permitted.

Angel Franco attending the detention warrant hearing and the accident scene. Yonhap News TV

This case has drawn attention amid ongoing controversy over ICE's immigration enforcement practices in the United States. Recently, in Minnesota, a federal judge issued a temporary order prohibiting the deportation of a five-year-old child and his father who were detained by ICE. The father and son were arrested in their driveway and transferred to an immigration facility in Texas, but the deportation process was temporarily halted by the court's decision.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) explained that the action was taken "in consideration of the child's safety," but local authorities and education officials countered that the child was "used as bait" during the enforcement. As incidents continue to occur in which criminal suspects are deported before trial or even children become targets of enforcement, criticism of ICE's hardline policies is spreading throughout American society.