On Friday's Fox News at Night, host Trace Gallagher devoted a segment to the problem of illegal aliens causing car crashes that could have been prevented if they had been deported for previous DUI offenses.
He began by highlighting the case of a 14-year-old boy who was killed in a hit-and-run in California by a drunk driver from Mexico who had not been deported despite a history of drunk driving arrests: "And the case of a teenager struck down by a hit and run driver in Southern California turns out to be another tragic tale of an American killed by an illegal immigrant who should not have been in the country."
Reporter Chanley Painter then informed viewers:
Just a devastating story out of Southern California where a 14-year-old high school student who was riding his bike was allegedly killed in a DUI-related hit-and-run. La Quinta High School student Liam Cantu, he died in a hospital this week, and tonight we're learning that the suspect involved with that fatal crash was an illegal alien from Mexico that had a prior record.
She added:
Law enforcement sources tell Fox Jose Abelardo Villegas-Orbe had two prior DUI arrests in California, but, under the Biden administration's immigration enforcement policies, those misdemeanor arrests meant ICE detainers -- an ICE detainer, excuse me -- was not filed. Well, tonight the Trump administration has filed a detainer request. The California so-called sanctuary law could complicate that...
During a discussion, Gallagher soon turned to immigration attorney Esther Valdez Clayton and posed:
This illegal immigrant was arrested for DUI in August of 2024 and again in November of 2024 in Riverside County. He did not meet the Biden immigration enforcement priorities -- he was set free. Now, accused of killing a 14-year-old and being under the influence at the time that he killed the 14-year-old. It's, I mean, it's, we, we do this every single night, these types of stories, and yet they're protesting bringing these people out of the country.
Clayton recounted the story of the deadly accident and noted that sanctuary states refuse to honor ICE detainers even when they are enacted:
Now, when you get a misdemeanor conviction and ICE typically files a detainer with the police department, hand him over department to department. This is not what happens in sanctuary states like California. He was released back into the community.
She went on to note that the victim was also an immigrant, illustrating that immigrants are often hurt by the actions of illegal aliens.
Gallagher later brought up another case in which a couple in South Carolina were killed by an illegal alien who had a history of DUIs in Illinois:
... nobody goes easier on illegals than the people in Illinois. Now, you have an illegal -- put him up on the screen here -- accused of killing a Republican board member in a town in South Carolina along with his wife. And it's the same thing -- DUI, another accident, another -- and the sad thing here is previous DUIs. And it just goes on and on and on, and I wanted to put this up just to show that it's not a one-off thing -- is we do this all the time. And we get a couple of these a day, and nothing's done about it.
Transcript follows:
Fox News at Night
October 31, 2025
11:28 p.m. Eastern
TRACE GALLAGHER: And the case of a teenager struck down by a hit and run driver in Southern California turns out to be another tragic tale of an American killed by an illegal immigrant who should not have been in the country. Chanley Painter is live in New York City with the new information on this. Chanley, good evening.
CHANLEY PAINTER: And good evening, Trace. Just a devastating story out of Southern California where a 14-year-old high school student who was riding his bike was allegedly killed in a DUI-related hit-and-run. La Quinta High School student Liam Cantu, he died in a hospital this week, and tonight we're learning that the suspect involved with that fatal crash was an illegal alien from Mexico that had a prior record. Law enforcement sources tell Fox Jose Abelardo Villegas-Orbe had two prior DUI arrests in California, but, under the Biden administration's immigration enforcement policies, those misdemeanor arrests meant ICE detainers -- an ICE detainer, excuse me -- was not filed. Well, tonight the Trump administration has filed a detainer request. The California so-called sanctuary law could complicate that...
(...)
GALLAGHER: This illegal immigrant was arrested for DUI in August of 2024 and again in November of 2024 in Riverside County. He did not meet the Biden immigration enforcement priorities -- he was set free. Now, accused of killing a 14-year-old and being under the influence at the time that he killed the 14-year-old. It's, I mean, it's, we, we do this every single night, these types of stories, and yet they're protesting bringing these people out of the country.
ESTHER VALDEZ CLAYTON, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: People are so misled when they think that the Trump administration should only focus on worst of the worst because throughout this state, in particular, we have people like this gentleman who killed a high school student who had two previous DUIs. Now, when you get a misdemeanor conviction and ICE typically files a detainer with the police department, hand him over department to department. This is not what happens in sanctuary states like California. He was released back into the community.
He was later arrested, convicted again for the same conviction in November. He was released yet again. ICE did not file a detainer because it's not an immigration priority. He should have been deported for having these misdemeanor convictions. Yet again he's released back into the community, and he slaughters possibly a young man also of immigration descent who's also Hispanic. He kills him when he should have been deported. He should never have been driving, but, of course, he probably had a state-sponsored driver's license given to undocumented immigrants.
(...)
GALLAGHER: Meantime, just kind of going back to the top of this subject we're talking about here, Sheriff. You've got, you know, nobody goes easier on illegals than the people in Illinois. Now, you have an illegal -- put him up on the screen here -- accused of killing a Republican board member in a town in South Carolina along with his wife. And it's the same thing -- DUI, another accident, another -- and the sad thing here is previous DUIs. And it just goes on and on and on, and I wanted to put this up just to show that it's not a one-off thing -- is we do this all the time. And we get a couple of these a day, and nothing's done about it.
