News Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today called on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson to provide information about a criminal immigrant who is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a Johnson County, Kan., sheriff’s deputy. In a letter to Sec. Johnson, the senators request Adrian Espinosa-Flores’ full criminal and immigration history and inquire about why he was allowed to remain in the country despite previous criminal convictions and his unlawful status.

“The Kansas City Star reports that Flores has an extensive criminal history,” the senators wrote in the letter. “If true, he should not have been allowed to roam free in the community.  Reports from KSHB-41 Action News cite records that show Flores had previously been convicted of driving under the influence in Los Angeles County, California, in 2001 under the name Arturo Espinoza Mercado and that in 2013, he was pulled over for speeding by Overland Park Police in Overland Park, Kansas, before being arrested and charged with driving without a license.”

The senators continued, “It seems Deputy Collins died at the hands of someone who broke our laws and should not have been allowed to remain in the United States following his multiple interactions with law enforcement.”

Click here to read the full letter. An excerpt of the questions in the letter may be found below. 

  1. The alien registration number for Adrian Espinosa-Flores, his complete alien file (A-file), including any temporary files, working files, or Service Center files, and all documents and items contained in them, all reports or notifications generated by DHS or in its possession about him, whether currently in written or electronic form, including, but not limited to, the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Executive Summary, criminal history or immigration summaries, detainers or requests for notification, I-213(s), and Notice(s) to Appear or other charging documents created to seek his removal from the United States.

  2. Please identify each and every date on which Adrian Espinosa-Flores was encountered by a law enforcement agency in the United States, to include criminal and civil arrests, the nature of the charge, the jurisdiction where the arrest occurred, the disposition of that charge, the date(s) on which he was released from the custody of that law enforcement agency, and the reason(s) for the release. 
    Please provide the arrest and disposition documentation for each encounter.

  3. How and when did Adrian Espinosa-Flores enter the United States? Was he ever served with a Notice to Appear?  Was it filed with an immigration court? Please explain.

  4. Did Adrian Espinosa-Flores ever apply for any immigration benefits, including deferred action?  If so, was any application approved?  Please provide copies of any application that may have been submitted, whether or not adjudicated.

Background
Sen. Moran has long advocated against sanctuary city policies. He sponsors the following legislation:

  • The Taking Action Against Drunk Drivers Act (S. 3276), legislation introduced by Sen. Grassley would make habitual drunk drivers ineligible for entry and removable from the United States. It would also require the detention of any immigrant who is unlawfully present in the United States and has been charged with a DUI or DWI; and
  • Sarah’s Law (S. 3124), which was also introduced by Sen. Grassley, would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take into custody certain illegal immigrants who have been charged in the United States with a crime that resulted in the death or serious bodily injury of another person.

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