President Trump politicizes death of Colts' Edwin Jackson to call for immigration reform
Donald Trump used the tragic death of Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson to call for stricter immigration policies in a tweet sent Tuesday morning.
Jackson and his Uber driver, Jeffrey Monroe, were killed Sunday by a suspected drunk driver on the side of an Indiana highway. Police have identified the suspect as Manuel Orrego-Savala, an undocumented immigrant.
Trump, before mourning Jackson’s death, wrote that it was “disgraceful that a person illegally in our country” was responsible for it, and urged Democrats to “get tough on the border,” a reference to ongoing talks over immigration policy.
So disgraceful that a person illegally in our country killed @Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson. This is just one of many such preventable tragedies. We must get the Dems to get tough on the Border, and with illegal immigration, FAST!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2018
Minutes later, Trump followed up with a second tweet sending his “prayers and best wishes” to Jackson’s family.
My prayers and best wishes are with the family of Edwin Jackson, a wonderful young man whose life was so senselessly taken. @Colts
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2018
Jackson, 26, and Monroe, 54, were standing by the side of Monroe’s car on the side of the road when they were struck by another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle attempted to flee on foot, but was caught and arrested by police. Police said the suspect had a blood-alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit.
They later identified him as Orrego-Savala, a 37-year-old from Guatemala who had twice been deported – first in 2007, then again in 2009 after arrests in California.
Trump has used examples like that of Orrego-Savala to argue for stricter border patrol, and in some cases for the construction of a wall between the United States and Mexico, despite evidence that immigrants to the U.S. are less likely to commit crimes than people born stateside.
