Trump cites Queens murder case in anti-immigrant State of the Union speech
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President Donald Trump mentioned the rape and murder of a 92-year-old Queens woman in an argument against sactuary cities during his State of the Union address Tuesday. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky.
By Jonathan Sperling
When police charged Reeaz Khan with the rape and murder of 92-year-old Maria Fuertes last month, anti-immigrant advocates across the country used the case as fuel to lambast New York City’s sactuary city status.
The case reached the highest stage in the country Tuesday night, when President Donald Trump invoked Fuertes’ murder during his State of the Union address. Trump blasted New York City for not allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to deport Khan, who is an undocumented immigrant, after a prior assault charge.
“In sanctuary cities, local officials ordered police to release dangerous criminals to prey upon the public instead of handing them over to ICE to be safely removed,” Trump said.
“Just 29 days ago, a criminal alien freed by the sanctuary city of New York was charged with the brutal rape and murder of a 92-year-old woman. The killer had been previously arrested for assault, but under New York sanctuary policies, he was set free,” he added.
Though Khan is undocumented, members of the Richmond Hill community that Fuertes called home were adamant that her death not be used to further an anti-immigrant narrative. At a vigil for Fuertes held on Jan. 19, residents noted that Fuertes, who came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic in the 1960s, was an immigrant herself.
“She was our abuela! Maria lived in Richmond Hill all her life after migrating from the Dominican Republic,” said Democratic District Leader Richard David during the vigil.
David said it was “despicable, but not surprising, that ICE would use this tragedy to further the anti-immigrant campaign of the Trump administration.”
Richmond Hill is the home of a thriving Guyanese community, and Khan is a Guyanese immigrant, according to ICE officials, who are currently suing New York City for more information about Khan. ICE also claims that it issued a detainer request for Khan after he was charged with assaulting his father, but that the NYPD ignored the request. The NYPD denies ever receiving the request, according to the New York Daily News.
A day after the speech, Bitta Mostofi, the director of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, said Trump “shamefully exploited tragedy and continued his attack on immigrants in New York and across the country.”
“His divisive, xenophobic rhetoric is designed to sow fear and mistrust in our communities. We won’t fall victim to the federal government’s incessant fearmongering and lies,” Mostofi said. “In New York City, our law enforcement officers and residents, including immigrants, work hand-in-hand to make us the safest big city in the country. Our policies are driven by our commitment to public safety and our recognition that strong relationships with immigrant communities promote safety for all New Yorkers.”
The reported rape and murder of Fuertes occurred just six weeks after Khan’s alleged assault on his father.
In his State of the Union address, Trump argued that “If the city had honored ICE’s detainer request, his [Khan’s] victim would still be alive today.”
Trump went on to mention an incident in California in which a man who is an undocumented immigrant allegedly shot several people and hijacked a truck. Trump pressed lawmakers to support a bill introduced by North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis that would allow someone to sue sanctuary cities and states when their family member is hurt or killed by a protected immigrant.
Nancy Cook, a White House reporter for Politico, noted that the section of Trump’s speech in which he criticized sanctuary cities was influenced by his senior advisor, Stephen Miller, a white nationalist.
Khan will be arraigned on second-degree murder charges this morning at Queens Criminal Court.
