Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) expressed support for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations targeting illegal immigrants accused of child sex offenses, while Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) called for the most severe punishments.
In a press release on Monday, ICE reported that it had arrested 214 illegal immigrants in the Houston area over the past six months who were charged or convicted of sexual offenses involving minors. Among those arrested was Jose Guadalupe Meza, a 40-year-old Mexican national deported four times previously, who had convictions for theft and sexual assault of a child. He was deported back to Mexico on June 25.
Fetterman posted on X that while he does not support all of ICE’s tactics, he “fully support[s] moves like these,” emphasizing that the arrests enhance national security and protect children. In contrast, Luna tweeted, “Skip deportation. Go directly to the death penalty. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200,” advocating for maximum punishment for offenders.
Fetterman has a history of supporting ICE actions against violent criminals, though he and his Democratic colleagues opposed the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which would have allocated tens of billions in additional funding for ICE operations and the completion of the border wall initiated under former President Trump.
