POSTED: THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 6:15 PM | UPDATED: 8:41 PM, THU JUN 2, 2016.
By Joseph Morton / World-Herald Bureau

WASHINGTON — Federal immigration officials have reiterated that their agency could have detained Eswin Mejia after police say he caused a fatal Jan. 31 crash while street racing in Omaha.

Mejia, who was in the country illegally, was arrested after the wreck, which killed 21-year-old Sarah Root, but disappeared after being released on bail a few days later.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined local police requests to detain him.

“Simply put, Edwin Mejia should be in custody,” ICE Deputy Director Daniel Ragsdale wrote in a recent letter to Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.

The case has caused a political furor and become a lightning rod for criticisms of President Barack Obama’s immigration policies. Those criticisms include deferring enforcement action against some people in the country illegally.

Lawmakers from Nebraska and Iowa have pressed the agency for more answers on what went wrong in the case of Mejia, who is now considered among ICE’s most wanted fugitives.

Ragsdale said in his letter that under the administration’s policies, individuals who do not fall into specific enforcement categories still can be detained if doing so would serve an “important federal interest.” He said Mejia could have been detained on that basis.

“I have made it clear to the ICE field offices that similarly situated aliens should be subject to enforcement action even if such aliens do not fall within the delineated priority categories, and (Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson) has reiterated this as well,” Ragsdale wrote. “I believe we could have done things differently to help ensure Edwin Mejia faces justice. I am committed to ensuring he does so.”

Ragsdale wrote that his agency continues to work with the Omaha Metro Fugitive Task Force to find and arrest Mejia.

http://www.omaha.com/news/crime/immi...887a1ac00.html