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

Judge's Home Becomes "Whole New Level" of Sanctuary for Illegal Immigrant

A disturbing scandal has emerged in New Mexico, where a Democratic judge harbored an illegal immigrant with ties to a transnational criminal gang. Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, a Venezuelan national who entered the country illegally during the Biden administration, was arrested at the home of former Dona Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his wife Nancy Ann Cano.

According to federal authorities, Ortega-Lopez is believed to be a member of Tren de Aragua, a gang recently designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration. He pleaded guilty to illegally possessing firearms and conspiracy to destroy evidence, and his case has raised questions about the extent of sanctuary jurisdictions in the country.

The Canos' home became an unlikely sanctuary for Ortega-Lopez, with Judge Cano allegedly allowing him to live with them and facilitating communication between Ortega-Lopez and other associates. The judge even admitted to smashing a phone that contained incriminating evidence, which was later recovered by federal agents.

This scandal highlights the concerns of the Trump Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has been critical of "sanctuary politicians" who subvert U.S. law to harbor criminal immigrants. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that Judge Cano's actions represent a "whole new level" of activism, taking the concept of sanctuary to an unprecedented level.

The case is also notable for its connection to a broader issue - the Trump administration's war on cartels and organized crime in Mexico. Experts predict that this effort will continue under the Biden administration, with increased focus on disrupting the networks and resources of transnational gangs like Tren de Aragua.

In this context, Judge Cano's actions have drawn criticism from all sides, as he seems to have put his own politics over his duty to uphold U.S. law. The case raises questions about the limits of sanctuary jurisdictions and the accountability of public officials who prioritize their personal beliefs over national security concerns.

wow, another judge with a bad attitude , I mean, what's next? Judges hosting secret underground raves for fugitives? the fact that this guy was harboring someone from a gang considered a foreign terrorist organization is just wild... like, how does one even get invited to a party with a transnational crime lord? and smashing a phone? what's next, burning documents? anyway, I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that he was caught by Trump-era DHS and now he's just trying to salvage his rep

omg this is soooo not fair!!! judge cano was just trying to help a guy in need , but i get why it's causing all this drama... like, shouldn't we be more understanding? he didn't exactly harbor the guy or anything, he just let him live with his wife and that was it . plus, cano's not even a politician he's just a judge trying to do what's right in his own way... i get why trump is mad but come on, don't they have better things to do than go after this guy? and honestly, isn't it kinda harsh that DHS is going after him for just being a good Samaritan?

This is a whole new level crazy! A judge's home becoming a hideout for an illegal immigrant with ties to a transnational gang? It's like something out of a movie. I mean, what was Judge Cano thinking? He's not only broke the law, but he also destroyed evidence and put his own life at risk. It's disgusting.

And now, the Trump department is saying this is a whole new level of activism? More like a whole new level of recklessness! I get it, sanctuary policies have their issues, but this is taking it too far. The fact that Ortega-Lopez was able to live with the judge and his wife without anyone noticing is just mind-boggling.

This case highlights the need for accountability in our public officials. If they're going to prioritize their politics over national security concerns, then they need to be held accountable. It's not about being a "sanctuary politician" or not - it's about upholding the law and doing what's right for this country.

I'm just glad that Ortega-Lopez is behind bars now and can't cause any more harm. But this whole ordeal has left me shaking my head in disgust

I'm low-key livid about this judge dude ! I mean, I get that he's trying to stick it to the man and all, but smashing a phone with incriminating evidence? That's just basic common sense... or in his case, basic corruption . I'm talking 'back in my day' stuff, we didn't have judges harboring fugitives at their homes for personal gain. What's next?

It's like, I get that the Trump admin was all about cracking down on cartels and gangs, but this is just a whole different ball game . It's not about being tough on crime, it's about upholding the law and doing what's right for the country. And let me tell you, if anyone can make a sanctuary out of their own home, it's a judge .

I'm all for holding our leaders accountable, but this is just ridiculous . I mean, can't we just have one standard set of rules and laws that everyone follows? It seems like the more we try to 'stick it' to the man, the further we slip into chaos . Anyway, just my two cents...

This is crazy ! I mean, a judge knowingly harboring an illegal immigrant with ties to a transnational gang in his own home? That's just reckless. And the fact that he smashed a phone containing evidence? Red flag alert . It's like he was trying to protect someone more than uphold the law.

Sanctuary cities and states are already a concern, but this takes it to a whole new level (no pun intended). If people in power are going to subvert U.S. law just to avoid enforcing immigration rules, that's not leadership, that's just bad decision-making . It's also concerning that there are transnational gangs getting more attention than the root causes of their presence - poverty, lack of opportunities, etc.

I'm all for creating a more inclusive society, but we can't do that by compromising national security. We need to find a balance between being compassionate and doing what's right . This case just highlights how thin that line is.

Oh man, this is like a total nightmare scenario! A judge just gets caught harboring an illegal immigrant with ties to a transnational gang? It's like he crossed the line from being a public servant to a accomplice to a crime syndicate! The fact that he smashed his own phone to destroy evidence is straight out of a bad action movie . And now we're left wondering how many other illegals are just chillin' in our sanctuary cities, taking advantage of the system?

And can we talk about the whole "sanctuary" thing for a second? It's like, I get it, we want to be compassionate and all that jazz , but come on! We gotta have some basic laws in place, right? The Trump admin was right to call out these "sanctuary politicians" . This guy, Judge Cano, seems like he prioritized his own politics over doing the job he was elected for .

It's also wild that this case has connections to the war on cartels and organized crime in Mexico . Like, what are we even trying to accomplish here?

I'm literally shocked that a judge would just let someone like Ortega-Lopez live in their home I mean, what if it was a child or something? But at the same time, I get why Judge Cano did what he did... I think. Maybe. Possibly? It's all so confusing.

I don't know, man. On one hand, sanctuary laws are a big deal and people like Judge Cano can make it harder for the government to do their job. But on the other hand, it seems like Judge Cano was putting his own life at risk by harboring an illegal immigrant with ties to a gang .

I'm not saying I agree with what Judge Cano did, but... actually, now that you mention it, maybe he wasn't doing anything wrong? Maybe the government is just being too harsh on people who are trying to help? Ugh, my mind is all over the place .

This is so messed up! I don't get why someone's personal home becomes a safe space for an illegal immigrant, especially if they're part of some bad gang. It sounds like Judge Cano was more worried about his own politics than doing what's right. I mean, he smashed the phone to hide evidence! What kind of judge does that? It just makes sense that public officials should follow the law and not let their personal views cloud their judgment. The whole "sanctuary" thing is already a gray area, but this guy takes it way too far.

omg this is so not cool judge cano should really do some reflecting on what he did - hosting an illegal immigrant in his home, covering up evidence... that's just a whole no-go zone it's one thing to have strong feelings about sanctuary policies, but actively enabling a known gang member? That's a different story altogether the government should be able to trust their public servants to do their jobs without taking a hard stance on immigration laws. this whole situation is like a perfect storm of corruption and incompetence

this judge just took being a lawman to a whole new level, no doubt about it... i mean, i get that he's got some liberal views, but come on! harboring an illegal immigrant with ties to a gang? that's like putting the country above his own values. and now he's trying to spin this as "activism" when really he just broke the law. it's not about being pro-immigrant or pro-sanctuary, it's about upholding the law and doing your job.

and what's with the "sanctuary" label? i'm all for helping those in need, but there's a time and a place for that. when you're on the bench, that's not the time to start making political statements or taking sides. it's like he thinks being a judge is about expressing his own views rather than interpreting the law.

anyway, this whole thing has me wondering if we're taking the concept of sanctuary too far. i mean, what happens when your job requires you to do something that goes against your personal values? do you just opt out or do you find ways to make it work? and who decides what's right and wrong here anyway?

anyway... just my two cents .

This judge's actions are super concerning! I mean, come on, a transnational gang member living in their home? It's like they're above the law or something . And what's with smashing that phone? That was some crazy stuff right there . Sanctuary jurisdictions should be about helping people in need, not protecting known felons . It's like our laws are on the backburner when it comes to immigration and national security. What's next? Are we gonna start giving pardons for crimes just because you have a sympathetic judge ? Not sure I'm cool with that

this is wild how far some people will go to take a stance... judge Cano's actions seem super reckless, what if someone gets hurt because he was too busy being "activist" his case highlights the problems with sanctuary jurisdictions, like who gets to decide what's right and wrong?

I mean come on, a judge just allowed an illegal immigrant with ties to a transnational gang to live in his own home? That's not sanctuary, that's just basic human decency. And what really gets me is that the guy smashed his phone to keep evidence from coming out - are you kidding me? I don't get why people can't just follow the law and do their job without causing a scandal. It's all about accountability now, folks. The Trump admin was right to designate this gang as a foreign terrorist organization, but what's even more concerning is that Judge Cano prioritized his politics over national security. I guess we should all just be grateful someone finally got caught in the act - it's not like anyone else knew about it or anything...

omg can u even believe this?? so like a judge just lets an illegal immigrant with ties to a gang live in his own home and help him communicate with other bad guys? that's insane!!! i mean i get it he was probably trying to do the right thing but honestly who is he to decide what's right and wrong when he's breaking the law himself?

i'm so confused about this whole sanctuary thing. like isn't the point of being a judge to enforce the law and protect us all? why would anyone want to be part of a group that thinks it's above the law? i feel like we need some real change in the system ASAP.

and omg what if the illegal immigrant was gonna hurt someone?? that's not something you can just ignore because you disagree with the government. we need to keep our country safe and this judge's actions are just so reckless.

I'm so worried about this judge's actions! He basically gave a known member of a transnational gang a free pass in his own home . It's like he was more concerned with his left-wing politics than following the law and keeping the public safe . And to make matters worse, he smashed his phone to get rid of evidence that could have helped take down this gang member . This is a huge problem for our country's security and it's not something we can just sweep under the rug . We need to hold our public officials accountable for their actions, even if it means going against their personal beliefs .

This judge taking in an illegal immigrant with ties to a transnational gang is just crazy! I mean, what's next? Sanctuary for everyone who wants to break the law? It's one thing to be pro-immigrant and all that jazz, but come on... you can't just let someone with a history of crime live in your house without doing your due diligence. The fact that this judge was "activist" enough to destroy evidence is just mind-blowing .

And what's up with the Trump admin's war on cartels and organized crime? Is that really something to be taken lightly? I'm all for keeping our country safe, but can't we find a way to do it without putting people like this judge in the hot seat? This whole thing is just too much drama.

This whole thing is just wow... I mean, a judge's home? That's like a whole new level of sanctuary . I'm not even kidding, I need to reorganize my own life so that everything makes sense. Anyway, back to this... it's crazy how one guy can put his politics over doing his job and put the entire country at risk . Like, what's next? Judges hosting ISIS members in their basements . The Trump administration is totally right about sanctuary cities, but on the other hand, I feel bad for the guy who got arrested... poor dude . Can we just have a system that works?

This whole thing is a total mess - I mean, a judge basically turned his own home into a safe haven for a known gang member? It's like something out of a movie . And to think that he was trying to smash the evidence and help out his "friend" by destroying the phone with incriminating info ... it's just not right .

But you know what really gets me? It's not even about the judge's personal politics; it's about the bigger picture. We've got a war on cartels and organized crime going on, and our judges are supposed to be part of that fight . Instead, we've got a case where someone is more worried about being seen as "activist" than actually doing their job .

The problem here is not the judge's personal views; it's the fact that he seemed to think his own sense of justice was more important than upholding U.S. law . And now we've got a whole mess of questions about sanctuary jurisdictions and who gets to decide what's "acceptable" . It's time for our public officials to get their priorities straight and start putting national security first .

OMG this is getting out of hand!! how can a judge just let an illegal immigrant live in his house and help them stay hidden from law enforcement?! it's like they think they're above the law or something? the fact that he smashed the phone to keep evidence from coming out is just crazy talk! what kind of accountability is there when public officials do this kinda thing?!?