U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced on April 21 that Hilda Esperanza Lopez-Hernandez was deported after serving a four-year prison sentence for a 2021 fatal hit-and-run in Okaloosa County, Florida. Local authorities honored an immigration detainer upon her release, enabling federal custody and removal.
The case highlights the cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities in addressing individuals with criminal convictions who remain in the country after receiving removal orders. According to the April 21 press release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE Miami took custody of Hilda Esperanza Lopez-Hernandez upon her release from Okaloosa County jail pursuant to an honored immigration detainer and deported her on April 12. Lopez-Hernandez had a final removal order issued in absentia in 2018 after she failed to appear for her immigration hearing. She entered the country illegally in 2014 as a teenager and was released with a notice to appear under the Obama administration.according to the agency.
Florida law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities enabled the arrest and deportation of Lopez-Hernandez following her conviction for hit-and-run, operating without a license, and hiding evidence in the death of 63-year-old David Hayes. The 2021 incident in Okaloosa County highlighted risks posed by individuals who remain in the country after receiving removal orders. Such partnerships between local agencies and ICE help ensure that criminal illegal aliens face consequences and are removed from American communities,according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations continues to prioritize the deportation of criminal illegal aliens with convictions for serious offenses, including hit-and-run resulting in death. Nationwide, the agency has removed thousands of individuals with traffic-related violent crimes and other public safety threats in recent enforcement actions. These operations rely on detainers honored by cooperating jurisdictions to prevent the release of offenders back into the population,according to ICE.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement enforces federal immigration laws through its Enforcement and Removal Operations division, which conducts targeted operations to locate and remove criminal aliens. The agency works closely with state and local partners to honor immigration detainers and protect communities from repeat offenders who entered the country illegally. ICE maintains a focus on prioritizing the removal of individuals with serious criminal histories,according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.