Dem judge in hot seat after DHS exposes 'whole new level' of activism, sheltering illegal immigrant

A Democratic judge's home turned into a sanctuary for an illegal immigrant, sparking outrage from the Trump Department of Homeland Security. The judge, 67-year-old Joel Cano, harbored Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, a Venezuelan national who was arrested in February on charges of illegally possessing firearms and destroying evidence.

According to authorities, Ortega-Lopez is believed to be a member of Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal group designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration. His presence at Cano's home was exposed after federal agents received a tip that he was living with other illegal immigrants on the property.

The investigation revealed that Cano had knowledge of Ortega-Lopez's status and had even allowed him to live in his home, despite being aware that the man was an undocumented immigrant. The judge allegedly used his position to shield Ortega-Lopez from law enforcement, allowing him to avoid arrest and deportation.

In a statement, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized Cano's actions as "activist judges taking sanctuary politics to a whole new level." She accused Cano of subverting U.S. law to harbor a suspected gang member, which has sparked outrage from law enforcement officials.

The case highlights the growing tensions between Democrats and Republicans over immigration policy. President Biden's administration was criticized for its handling of the border crisis, while the Trump administration took steps to crack down on sanctuary cities.

As part of the investigation, federal agents seized four guns and three cellphones belonging to Ortega-Lopez from Cano's home. A forensic analysis of the recovered phones revealed messages linked to Ortega's alleged criminal activities, including links with the Tren de Aragua gang.

Judge Cano resigned his position in March, and he and his wife were arrested on April 24. They were released on $10,000 bonds and are facing up to 15 years in prison each for evidence tampering and conspiracy to tamper with evidence.

The case has sparked a wider debate about the role of sanctuary cities in harboring undocumented immigrants. While some argue that such policies help create a safe environment for certain communities, others see them as a threat to national security and public safety.

omg u cant beleev this lol judge joel cano was livin w/ a known gang mema and didnt report it he was harboring cristhian ortega-lopez, the suspected tren de aragua memba . now hes facin up to 15 yrs in prizn for evidnce tamperin like wut r u thinkin joel? the feds seized guns & cellphones from his house and found links to the gang meanwhile DHS is all like "activist judges" taking sanctuary politics 2 a whole n00l level

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one... I mean, what's going on with judges and sanctuary cities? It seems like we're having a major conversation about the line between justice and politics. I get that some people might think it's unfair to target certain groups, but at the same time, I also believe that laws are meant to be followed... or so it should seem. What's even more concerning is how some politicians use this stuff for their own gain or just to stir up controversy. It's like, can't we focus on finding solutions instead of just shouting at each other?

I mean come on, can't we just take both sides? Like, sure, this judge was allegedly helping out an undocumented immigrant, but what if he was doing it because he genuinely cares about the dude's life and wants to help him avoid being deported? I'm not saying it's cool or that it's justified, but let's not assume the worst. And what's with all the drama from the Trump department? It's like they're just trying to stir up more conflict than necessary

And have you seen the stats on sanctuary cities? Like, most of these places are actually seeing lower crime rates and happier citizens because people feel safer living there. So, yeah, maybe we should be looking at this from a different angle instead of just demonizing judges who want to help out a neighbor in need

I'm not sure what's more concerning - the fact that a judge took in an undocumented immigrant or that they got caught . As a nation, we need to find a balance between compassion and justice. Can't we just offer a safer path for these people instead of putting them in harm's way?

this is wild, can we get the sources on these claims tho? i mean, how did federal agents just stumble upon cristhian ortega-lopez living with the judge at his home? what's the tip that led to the investigation? seems like a lot of assumptions being made here

I mean, who wouldn't want to take in a stranger with a sketchy past and a history of 'alleged' gang ties? It's not like that's a recipe for disaster or anything... but hey, at least the judge got some quality time with his new friend while he was living on his estate. And $10,000 bond is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me... I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that he's a Democrat and they wanted to send a message (sarcasm alert ). Anyway, just another day in the world of sanctuary cities where 'community' apparently means harboring potential felons and law enforcement is just told to look the other way .

this is so messed up how can a judge just let someone like Ortega-Lopez live in their house knowing he's broke the law it's not right the fact that Cano used his position to shield him from law enforcement is just crazy and now he and his wife are facing up to 15 years in prison what about the people who followed the rules meanwhile, this whole thing is just bringing more heat between Dems and Reps over immigration policy

I don’t usually comment but... this whole thing just seems super fishy to me . I mean, how did a judge even get away with harboring an illegal immigrant in their own home? And what's with the guns and cellphones being seized from the house? It sounds like a setup to me. I don’t think we should be jumping all over Judge Cano just yet. There might be more to this story than meets the eye .

idk what's going on here... judge gets busted for harborin' illegal immigrant and now he's facin' prison time? it's all just a mess. i mean, come on, dude was aware he was harboring an undocumented immigrant and still did it. that's not activism, that's just plain ol' ignorance. and what's with the sanctuarian city thingy? like, can't we just have a conversation about how to deal with ppl in need without it gettin all political? this whole thing is just a big ol' headache...

I'm not buying this whole "judge as activist" narrative . What's really going on here is that someone in power decided to use their position for personal gain or maybe just to stick it to the man . A judge harboring an illegal immigrant? That's some serious overreach of authority, if you ask me .

And what's with all this drama about immigration policy ? Can't we just focus on finding a solution that works for everyone? It seems like people are more interested in demonizing each other than actually addressing the issues at hand .

I'm not saying judge Cano didn't make some questionable decisions, but let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater . We need to have a nuanced conversation about these complex issues, not just partisan bickering .

idk what's going on here ... so like this judge is just letting an illegal immigrant live with him at his house? that doesn't seem right to me... I mean I get it, the guy might be in danger or whatever, but shouldn't he have done things the 'right' way? like go to a shelter or something... and why did this keep getting exposed? shouldn't there be better security measures in place? also what's with all these gangs and stuff? Tren de Aragua sounds super sketchy

OMG u guys this is so messed up ! Like Cano was literally a judge and he knew Ortega-Lopez was an illegal immigrant but still let him live with his family in the judge's house? That's some crazy activist judge stuff right there #SanctuaryCitiesAreAFarce.

I don't get why ppl are mad at Cano though, like isn't it the govts job to take care of immigration issues? Not the judges. And what about all the ppl who r being deported and can't come back? It's so unfair #NotMyJudge. I feel bad 4 Ortega-Lopez too, if he did do something wrong maybe just go through the proper channels like everyone else?