Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-04) issued the below statement following reports that two illegal immigrants were arrested after their car caused the death of a 9-month-old baby and hospitalized a woman and a 5-year-old child in Jackson:

                "Despite being deported from the United States five times and being previously charged with operating a motor vehicle without a license, Ariadna Lazaro-Flores—the owner of the vehicle that caused the death of a nine-month-old baby and the hospitalizations of his mother and five-year-old sister—was still able to obtain a driver’s license in New Jersey. That is shocking.

                "Likewise, Maria Cobon-Guzman—the individual in the driver’s seat at the time of the accident—was also in the United States illegally and had never been licensed to operate a motor vehicle.

                "Had these individuals been properly vetted and denied entry into the United States, this innocent baby would still be alive, and a young family’s lives would not have been completely shattered.

                "This tragedy was completely avoidable, if not for the Biden Administration’s lax and grossly irresponsible immigration enforcement policies. Criminals who are in this country illegally should not be and should never have been able to obtain a driver’s license, either personal or commercial, in the United States.

                "The State of New Jersey must repeal its so-called sanctuary state status and allow local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration officials and ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime—and all others—are held accountable and/or removed from the United States."

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