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Federal authorities have finally issued an arrest warrant in the 2001 murder of former Congressional intern Chandra Levy. The warrant charges Ingmar Guandique - an illegal alien and repeat violent felon - with her murder. The recent turn of events raises new questions not only about the murder itself, but also about the District of Columbia's sanctuary city policy.
On Tuesday, March 3, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it had issued an arrest warrant for Ingmar Guandique, a 27-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador who is currently serving a ten-year federal prison sentence for two violent attacks against other women in Rock Creek Park - the same park where Levy's remains were found in 2002. A supporting affidavit states that Guandique, a suspected member of the notorious Salvadoran Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang who was working as a "day laborer" in 2001, had admitted to at least two witnesses since his incarceration that he and two other unidentified individuals were responsible for Levy's death. (CNN, March 4, 2009; The Washington Post, February 22, 2009). Authorities considered Guandique a possible suspect as far back as 2001, although investigative missteps delayed charges from being brought in the case until new leads developed. (The Washington Post, February 22, 2009; Jewish World Review, June 5, 2002).
The murder charge has raised questions about D.C.'s sanctuary city policy, which has been in place since at least August 1984. The policy prevents police from inquiring into or detaining anyone for immigration violations and also prevents social service agencies from inquiring into an applicant's legal status, thus enabling illegal aliens to receive taxpayer-funded benefits. (Human Events, May 4, 2007; Judicial Watch, Government of the District of Columbia Response to Judicial Watch Request for Sanctuary City Policy Information). On May 7, 2001, six days after Chandra Levy disappeared, Guandique was arrested by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department after he burglarized a woman's apartment near Rock Creek Park. (Human Events, May 31, 2002). He was released by a judge after the burglary arrest and, in the weeks that followed, attacked two women in Rock Creek Park in separate attacks. Guandique was convicted on charges related to those attacks. Had D.C. not had a sanctuary city policy in place and if Guandique been held by D.C. police after the burglary, he would have been unable to attack two women in Rock Creek Park in the summer of 2001.
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The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is a national, nonprofit, public-interest, membership organization of concerned citizens who share a common belief that our nation's immigration policies must be reformed to serve the national interest.
FAIR seeks to improve border security, to stop illegal immigration, and to promote immigration levels consistent with the national interest-more traditional rates of about 300,000 a year.
With more than 250,000 members and supporters nationwide, FAIR is a non-partisan group whose membership runs the gamut from liberal to conservative.Our grassroots networks help concerned citizens use their voices to speak up for effective, sensible immigration policies that work for America's best interests.
