WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer on Ricardo Leonel Mejia, a 35‑year‑old man from El Salvador who is in the country illegally and has been convicted of repeatedly raping an 11‑year‑old in Virginia. Mejia received a 30‑year prison sentence for his crimes.
According to ICE, Mejia was employed to renovate a bathroom in the victim’s home but instead broke in and assaulted the child on three separate occasions. He was convicted on three counts of rape of a child under 13 and for unlawful entry.
In addition to those offenses, Mejia had prior convictions for traffic violations—driving without a license and driving on a suspended license, among others.
ICE officials said that Mejia had previously been designated a “non‑enforcement priority,” which led to termination of his removal proceedings in July 2023. That decision allowed him to remain in the U.S. illegally. The detainer now aims to prevent him from returning to freedom after serving his sentence.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin harshly criticized the prior policy, calling Mejia’s crimes “unthinkable” and alleging that they should have precluded any policy that allowed him to remain at large. She said that ICE will work to ensure that once his prison term ends, he will be removed from the country and unable to harm others again.
Source: Homeland Security
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