The Trump administration is valiantly fighting to deport Alexander Alfredo Palacios Guevara, a Salvadoran Surenos gang member and illegal immigrant with convictions for murder, attempted murder, assault, and sexual abuse of a minor. The murderer was captured by ICE but invoked a Biden-era Deferral of Removal under the Convention Against Torture (DCAT), granted on December 18, 2024, to regain his freedom.
In a surprising turn of events, the murderer was briefly released, but he was quickly re-detained due to public safety concerns. In response to the conundrum, ICE is attempting a third-country deportation, pending a Supreme Court ruling, as Biden-era protections and a federal judge’s injunction currently block his deportation.
In any case, an ICE spokesman said, “This criminal alien should never have been roaming the streets of Los Angeles. Not only is he a member of the ruthless Surenos gang, but he also has multiple convictions for murder, assault and rape or sexual abuse of a minor.”
Concluding the official statement, the spokesman added, “A highly unusual Biden-era legal decision from December allowed this dangerous criminal to live in American communities. Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, we are removing public safety threats as it always should have been.”
Providing additional context, Bill Melugin, a journalist embedded with ICE on the day of Guevara’s arrest, took to X. He stated, “We were with ICE & HSI Los Angeles as they arrested a Salvadoran alien w/ an active deportation order who has convictions for murder & attempted murder in LA County, but ICE may not be able to deport him due to a protection he got in the final days of the Biden admin.”
Continuing his explanation, he said, “ICE says ALEXANDER ALFREDO PALACIOS GUEVARA is a Surenos gang member who has had an active deportation order since February 2024. He is a convicted murderer, and also has two prior convictions for attempted murder, all in Los Angeles County,” adding, “During his ICE arrest, he repeatedly told me, on camera, that he shouldn’t be deported because he has “CAT”.”
Digging into the details, the courageous journalist stated, “It turns out, his claim was true. ICE wasn’t aware during his arrest, but in the last days of the Biden admin, in December 2024, Guevara had been granted what’s known as “DCAT”, or Deferred Removal under the Convention Against Torture, meaning he can’t be deported to his home country because he fears he will be tortured there.”
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Still not down, the reporter said, “The decision was made by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), under the Biden Department of Justice, on 12/18/2024. ICE will keep Guevara in custody & seek to deport him to a third party country, but they are waiting for SCOTUS to rule on their ability to do so, after a federal judge in Boston blocked third party removals earlier this year.”
Concluding the report, he declared, “ICE, under the Trump admin, is outraged that a decision under the Biden admin is currently stopping them from deporting a convicted murderer & alleged gang member who has a final deportation order & received his due process.”