Murder of Houston girl part of Trump’s attack on Biden’s immigration policy during debate

The death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray of Houston, who authorities say was killed by two undocumented immigrants earlier this month, played a role in Thursday’s presidential debate as the candidates criticized each other over immigration.

Nungaray was found strangled in a shallow creek earlier this month after authorities said she left her family’s home on June 16. Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, and Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, 26, two Venezuelan citizens who federal agents said crossed the border illegally, were arrested and charged with her murder.

The men entered the United States earlier this year. Both were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near El Paso and later released with a summons to appear in immigration court.

During Thursday’s debate, former President Donald Trump did not mention Nungaray by name but included her death among three recent killings that authorities say were committed by illegal immigrants. The others were Laken Riley, 22, in Georgia in February and Rachel Morin, 37, who was killed in Maryland last year.

“They’re killing our citizens on a scale we’ve never seen before. And you’re reading it. Like these incredible young girls in the last few days,” Trump said. “I just spoke to the mother of one of them. They just held a funeral for this girl. She’s 12 years old. What happened is horrific.”

According to the Houston Chronicle, Trump reportedly spoke to Nungaray’s mother.

Immigration, and President Joe Biden’s border policy in particular, are likely to be key topics on Thursday as the number of illegal immigrants at the country’s southern border has reached a record high.

Trump often deviated from other issues – including the economy, Social Security and job growth – to attack Biden on immigration. He has said several times that foreign governments are emptying their prisons and mental health facilities and spurring migration to the United States, a claim analysts have debunked.

Governor Greg Abbott quickly intervened after the debate, announcing in a statement from his campaign team that the country “could not survive” another four years under Biden.

“Under President Biden, our country has experienced an unprecedented crisis at our southern border, with record numbers of illegal immigrants, guns and deadly drugs like fentanyl entering our country. President Biden’s dangerous open border policy has already allowed more than 11 million illegal immigrants – including dangerous criminals, gang members and known terrorists – to enter our country,” Abbott said.

While Republicans focus on the alleged crimes some migrants are accused of, Democrats and immigration rights supporters point to statistics showing that immigrants commit fewer crimes than U.S. citizens.

A recent report by the CATO Institute found that Texas has a slightly lower murder rate among immigrants.

“The conviction and arrest rates of illegal and legal immigrants were lower, both individually and overall, than those of native-born Americans for murder and all crimes in Texas during 2013-2022,” the report said.

Biden, in turn, praised the recent decline in authorized border crossings – around 40 percent this month – which he attributed to an executive order issued in June that drastically limits the number of migrants who can apply for asylum when the number of illegal border crossings peaks.

But analysts warn that the Biden administration may be overstating the results. Migrant arrests typically drop after a major policy shift before rising again. The Mexican government has also stepped up efforts to stop migrants from crossing the country en route to the United States.