MS-13 Gang Member Who Confessed to 5 Murders Arrested Just Weeks Before Spanberger Ended ICE Cooperation

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) assisted in the arrest of Edwin Antonio Hernandez Hernandez, a self-admitted MS-13 gang member and confessed murderer, in Virginia after identifying his criminal history during the review of his asylum and work authorization applications. USCIS coordinated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which arrested Hernandez at a USCIS appointment in Alexandria roughly two and a half weeks before newly inaugurated Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger ended the state’s mandatory cooperation with ICE through an executive order. Hernandez, a Salvadoran national, entered the United States illegally in 2015 as an unaccompanied minor and was ordered removed in 2017. While in U.S. custody, he admitted to MS-13 membership and confessed to killing five people in El Salvador through violent acts including torture and dismemberment. Despite this record and a standing removal order, he later applied for asylum and received work authorization, remaining in the country after an immigration judge ruled he required protection from torture if returned to El Salvador. Department of Homeland Security officials criticized both this decision and Governor Spanberger’s executive order, arguing that limiting cooperation with ICE undermines public safety.

For more information contact Las Vegas Immigration Attorney Darren Heyman.