Illegal Alien Arrested After Gun Background Check

(Cedar Rapids, Iowa) A 26-year-old Mexican, Cipriano Ortega-Villasana, was arrested by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent after he unsuccessfully tried to buy a gun at Wild Bill's Gun Shop in Lime Springs. Ortega indicated on the required Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) form that he was a U.S. citizen and he presented an Illinois driver's license. Fortunately, the purchase was disallowed when it was determined that he was an illegal alien, previously deported.

Ortega, an admitted member of the Latin Kings street gang, was previously arrested in 1990 and was released pending an immigration court hearing. He didn't show up for the hearing. Imagine that.

At large until January of 1994, Ortega was finally detained in Chicago and deported. At a point in time between 1994 and now, Ortega returned to the United States. Imagine that.

The Latin King, and licensed driver, is currently detained on immigration violations. Now, imagine that he'll be released pending an immigration hearing and imagine that he won't show up and, the, imagine he'll be arrested again.

While you're imagining, pretend that President Bush is attempting to shore up the border between the U.S. and Mexico. He isn't and, frankly, I'm angry that the geographical security of the U.S. is being wantonly breached and the government refuses to act. Some say that there will be no politician brave enough to tackle the problem unless we experience another devastating attack which can be directly tied to inadequate border controls. I'm not so sure, primarily because 'bravery' and 'politics' are entities that typically never wed.

Companion post at Conservative Thinking.