A Haitian migrant has been accused of a fatal beating at a Florida petrol station - a violent attack US President Donald Trump seized on to argue for stricter immigration policies.
Rolbert Joachin is charged with homicide after he allegedly struck a woman repeatedly with a hammer and killed her on 3 April, US officials said on Friday.
Trump shared a graphic video of the incident and reiterated his calls to end deportation protections for Haitian migrants. A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration's attempt to eliminate deportation protections for more than 350,000 Haitian immigrants, who are allowed to live and work in the US with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), in February.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that the video of the slaying was one of the most vicious things you will ever see. He stated that this one killing should be enough for judges to stop impeding my Administration's Immigration Policies.
The video, which was also shared online by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), depicts Joachin striking the woman in the head with an object before she falls backwards onto the pavement. He is then seen hitting her multiple times on the head and torso.
It's senseless. It's a video you can never unwatch, said Micah McCombs, special agent in charge with Homeland Security Investigations, during a news conference on Friday.
Local police requested the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to locate Joachin in Fort Myers, leading to his arrest shortly after. Joachin first entered the US in August 2022 and was granted Temporary Protected Status, which is set to expire in 2024.
TPS prevents US officials from deporting immigrants to countries deemed unsafe. The administration has argued that TPS encourages illegal immigration and has been overused by Democrats.
The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case about TPS for Haitians, with oral arguments scheduled for later this month. Haitians were designated as eligible for TPS following the 2010 earthquake in their country, and the eligibility status has been extended several times, most recently in 2021 under the Biden administration.
DHS stated on Friday that Joachin will be deported regardless of the outcome of his case.
Rolbert Joachin is charged with homicide after he allegedly struck a woman repeatedly with a hammer and killed her on 3 April, US officials said on Friday.
Trump shared a graphic video of the incident and reiterated his calls to end deportation protections for Haitian migrants. A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration's attempt to eliminate deportation protections for more than 350,000 Haitian immigrants, who are allowed to live and work in the US with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), in February.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that the video of the slaying was one of the most vicious things you will ever see. He stated that this one killing should be enough for judges to stop impeding my Administration's Immigration Policies.
The video, which was also shared online by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), depicts Joachin striking the woman in the head with an object before she falls backwards onto the pavement. He is then seen hitting her multiple times on the head and torso.
It's senseless. It's a video you can never unwatch, said Micah McCombs, special agent in charge with Homeland Security Investigations, during a news conference on Friday.
Local police requested the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to locate Joachin in Fort Myers, leading to his arrest shortly after. Joachin first entered the US in August 2022 and was granted Temporary Protected Status, which is set to expire in 2024.
TPS prevents US officials from deporting immigrants to countries deemed unsafe. The administration has argued that TPS encourages illegal immigration and has been overused by Democrats.
The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case about TPS for Haitians, with oral arguments scheduled for later this month. Haitians were designated as eligible for TPS following the 2010 earthquake in their country, and the eligibility status has been extended several times, most recently in 2021 under the Biden administration.
DHS stated on Friday that Joachin will be deported regardless of the outcome of his case.
