DHS says four House Democrats 'chose to stand with criminal illegal aliens' after visiting ICE detainee

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday accused several House Democrats of meeting with a criminal illegal immigrant at an ICE detention facility, calling the visit a move in which they "chose to stand with criminal illegal aliens over American citizens."

According to the department, four House Democrats - Reps. Juan Vargas, Mike Levin, Sara Jacobs and Scott Peters - visited the ICE San Diego Field Office on Monday and requested to speak with the Honduran national, who has been accused of kidnapping and abusing his spouse. 

"Democrats once again chose to stand with a criminal illegal alien over American citizens," said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "This criminal illegal alien these Democrat lawmakers met with has been charged with kidnapping and domestic abuse."

Peters' office told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the lawmakers did not specifically request to speak with that detainee. The members reportedly asked to speak with "any detainee" during their oversight visit and were brought Rojas-Molina. The office added that DHS did not present any evidence that the detainee was convicted of such crimes. 

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"The members asked weeks ago to conduct an oversight visit, ensuring that due process is followed and everyone is being afforded their legal rights," Communications Director Lena Jacobson said. "They were finally allowed to do so yesterday. They did not ask to speak with Mr. Rojas-Molina. There were three detainees present. The members asked to speak with any detainee. This is the person who ICE presented to them. DHS has not provided any evidence to Rep. Peters' office to show Mr. Rojas-Molina was convicted of the crimes they allege he committed."

Similarly, a Levin spokesperson disputed the idea that the Democrats requested to meet with that particular individual.

"The members conducted their constitutional oversight duty after asking ICE for weeks to let them into the facility to observe the conditions. They were on-site to conduct Congressional oversight, not to meet with any specific detainee," the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News. "Mr. Rojas-Molina was made available to speak to the group without specific information pertaining to the nature of his detention or any crimes he may have previously committed. When Mr. Rojas-Molina told the group he had no prior criminal record, this statement was never refuted by the ICE officials providing the tour. Rep. Levin believes all detainees should be given due process and afforded their legal rights, and if they are found to be violent criminals they should be deported."

McLaughlin described the representatives as "sanctuary politicians" who "continue to smear" efforts made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to remove offenders from the country.

"These sanctuary politicians continue to smear law enforcement and falsely claim ICE is not targeting the worst of the worst. It's disgusting that these sanctuary politicians continue to do the bidding of criminal illegal aliens."   

Dennis Mauricio Rojas-Molina, who was deported from the U.S. a decade ago, was arrested in May on charges of kidnapping and spousal battery.

In the summer of 2015, during the Obama administration, Rojas-Molina was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol near Lukeville, Arizona, but was later released into the country. An immigration judge issued a final order of removal several months after his arrest, and he was deported Oct. 14, 2015. He subsequently reentered the United States illegally at an unknown date and time.

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In a video posted to Rep. Mike Levin's X account on Monday featuring all four lawmakers at a news conference, Levin confirmed they had visited a detainee who was recently arrested, though he did not name the individual. He noted that the man has two children - ages 11 and 5.

"Folks like him need a path to stay," Levin said of the detainees the representatives visited. "They need a path to legal status so that they can continue to work hard and contribute positively to our economy. … We need to treat them better than this."

Fox News Digital reached out to Reps. Juan Vargas and Sara Jacobs for more information. 

DHS added that ICE continues to arrest the "worst of the worst" criminal illegal immigrants despite Democrats' claims that the department is not prioritizing offenders, citing Rep. Sara Jacobs' post on X Monday stating, "ICE isn't going after criminals; they're targeting your neighbors and friends."

"Seventy percent of the illegal aliens arrested by ICE have criminal convictions or pending charges in the United States," DHS said, adding that the department continues to focus its enforcement efforts on murderers, rapists, gang members, pedophiles, terrorists and other dangerous individuals. 

The department also emphasized that the figure does not reflect those wanted for crimes in other countries, those with Interpol notices or those facing human rights-related violations. 

Fox News' Kelly Phares contributed to this report.