Texas lawmakers demand answers on fatal crash allegedly caused by illegal immigrant: 'Infuriating'

The outlet reported that he confessed to having consumed five beers before driving, and that he is now being held as an ICE detainee.

Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, along with State Rep. Stan Gerdes, say they have been told that Peralta is an illegal immigrant who was deported under the Obama and Trump administrations, but that he then returned illegally in 2021.

The Bastrop County Sheriff's office confirmed to their offices that it had reported the suspect to ICE, and that they had placed a hold on him.

Now, the lawmakers want to know how the suspect re-entered after being deported multiple times, whether immigration authorities knew he was residing in the country, and what potential gaps in enforcement allowed him to re-enter the U.S.

"Another family's worst nightmare has come to pass, and it's directly because of the Biden-Harris Administration's reckless, open-border policies," Rep. Cloud said in a statement.

"Their refusal to enforce our immigration laws has taken another innocent life. How many American citizens have to be killed by illegal immigrants before Joe Biden and Kamala Harris decide to act?"

"Yet another Texan is dead directly because of the Biden-Harris border crisis," Cruz said. "Texans deserve answers about why this illegal alien was allowed back into our country after being deported twice. This crime was both infuriating and avoidable, but the Biden-Harris administration has made a cynical decision to keep the border open for political purposes. The resulting crimes are avoidable, infuriating, and unacceptable."

Gerdes said the community was "heartbroken" by the tragedy and that he would be pushing legislation to address illegal immigration at the state level. All three lawmakers say they want a full investigation into the suspect's immigration history.

They say that ending border wall construction, ending "Remain-in-Mexico" and narrowing ICE deportations have encouraged increased border crossings. Former President Trump has promised, if re-elected to launch a mass deportation operation.

The Biden administration has called for the passage of a bipartisan border security bill introduced in January, which many conservative Republicans have opposed, to increase funding and limit some entries into the U.S. 

It has pointed to a sharp decrease in encounters at the border since President Biden signed an executive order in June limiting arrivals. Numbers have since plunged by over 55%. The agency also says it has completed over 700,000 removals or returns for FY 24, the most since 2010.