Dean Johnson Comments on Controversial Criminal Case for Sacramento Bee

Dean Kevin R. Johnson commented for media including the Sacramento Bee on the case of Luis Enrique Monroy-Bracamonte, a twice-deported Mexican national who is accused of killing two Northern California sheriff's officers on October 24. The case has drawn significant media attention and prompted criticism of U.S. immigration enforcement and attempts by President Obama and others to reform the immigration system.

"Using this tragedy to advance one's political agenda is predictable, but still troubling," said Dean Johnson. "This is a horrible tragedy, and yet the government did what it was supposed to do. It deported him on a couple of occasions, and yet he was able to return and live under the radar."

Dean Johnson also noted that the immigration reform bill that stalled in Congress would have helped keep out individuals such as Monroy-Bracamonte because it would have boosted border security and created identification cards for undocumented immigrants with no criminal history - potentially making it easier to flag those with criminal offenses on their records.

Kevin R. Johnson is Dean and Mabie-Apallas Professor of Public Interest Law and Chicana/o studies at UC Davis School of Law. He is an internationally recognized scholar in the fields of immigration law and policy, refugee law, and civil rights.

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