In a straightforward ruling that underscores the ongoing debate about immigration policy and enforcement, two men have been sentenced after being convicted of illegally reentering the United States following deportation. Hugo Henry Hernandez-Bonilla, a 49-year-old Salvadoran national, was sentenced to time served, which amounts to almost four months, and will be deported once more. According to a statement issued by United States Attorney David Metcalf and cited by the United States Department of Justice, Hernandez-Bonilla was previously deported in September 2011 but was detained by the Lancaster City (Pa.) Bureau of Police last July.
After serving his sentence, Hernandez-Bonilla, a Salvadoran national, reentered the United States and now faces deportation for driving under the influence. Noel Velasquez-Basurto, a 33-year-old Mexican national, was also sentenced to time served, which equated to approximately four months. He was identified by ICE in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, earlier this year after his initial removal from the United States near Nogales, Arizona, in October 2013.
The enforcement measures are part of a bigger initiative known as “Operation Take Back America,” which aims to enhance efforts to combat illegal immigration and eradicate cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). These instances were identified as part of the Department’s coordinated approach, which includes resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond ordered Velasquez-Basurto to leave the United States last week after serving his prison sentence. The Department of Justice reported Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda McCool, Brittany Jones, and Lindsey Mills as the prosecutors for these cases, underscoring their focused efforts toward what many see as a strong stance on the readmission of previously deported individuals.
