Michigan Republicans are focusing on illegal migrants committing crimes as a potential campaign issue, following the recent murder of Michigan woman Ruby Garcia allegedly by her boyfriend, illegal migrant Brandon Ortiz-Vite. The GOP sees this crime as a way to appeal to the 'security mom' vote in the upcoming elections. This incident, along with another murder allegedly committed by an illegal migrant last year, is being viewed as a political opportunity by Republican strategists.
Despite studies showing that illegal immigrants have a low homicide conviction rate, Republicans believe that highlighting localized crimes like these will resonate with voters in west Michigan and could impact the presidential election dynamics in favor of the GOP.
On the other hand, Democrats like Rep. Hillary Scholten have criticized Republicans for what they perceive as exploiting the issue for political gain rather than addressing the root causes of such crimes. Scholten emphasized the need for concrete actions to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
Brandon Ortiz-Vite, the suspect in Ruby Garcia's murder, is currently in custody facing charges including murder, carjacking, and firearm-related offenses. It has been confirmed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that Ortiz-Vite was in the country illegally at the time of the crime and had been deported to Mexico in 2020.
House Republicans have been vocal in their criticism of President Biden's border policies and his administration's response to incidents like the death of Ruby Garcia. The issue of illegal immigrant crime is expected to feature prominently in political campaigns leading up to the elections.
