ICE Detains Driver Who Caused Child's Death In EHC: Officials

EGG HARBOR CITY, NJ — U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detained a man who fatally struck a 7-year-old boy and critically injured an adult woman, according to authorities. ICE arrested Jorge Rodriguez-Saldana for immigration violations July 13 in Horsham, Pennsylvania, the federal agency announced.

Rodriguez-Saldana was charged July 11 with with unlicensed driving in a fatal motor vehicle crash, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said. Read more: Unlicensed Driver Fatally Strikes Boy In Egg Harbor City: ACPO

The 7-year-old boy was identified as Marco Yu, according to The Press of Atlantic City.

Police released him on a summons after the incident. Law enforcement in Atlantic County didn't refer the case to ICE for review, the federal agency said. Rodriguez-Saldana, a Mexico native, was in the United States illegally, ICE said.

In November, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewel issued the Immigrant Trust Directive, limiting the voluntary assistance local and county law enforcement can provide federal immigration authorities. Grewel said people are less likely to report a crime to police if they fear the officer may turn them over to ICE.

Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson told The Press that Rodriguez-Saldana was never in the county jail.

“That fellow was never in our lockup,” Levinson told The Press. “We obey the law. ... I can tell you unequivocally that we follow the guidelines as set down.”

Undocumented immigrants cannot get driver's licenses in New Jersey. Legislators in the New Jersey Assembly and Senate pushed bills in December to change this. Neither bill has made it out of their respective committees, according to LegiScan.

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