Madison Reporter

Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, has expressed concerns over open border policies following a tragic incident in Dane County, Wisconsin. According to Cortes, these policies allowed a Honduran national to enter the United States and subsequently cause the deaths of two American teenagers while driving under the influence. Cortes made these remarks to the Madison Reporter.

"Two beautiful Wisconsin teenagers are dead tonight, not because of bad luck, but because our ruling class invited lawlessness into our land," said Cortes. "A drunk, criminal illegal alien from Honduras drove the wrong way on an American highway—and two lives were snuffed out. Let's stop pretending: every open border is a loaded weapon aimed at our children. Close the border. Protect Americans first."

Federal immigration officials have confirmed the arrest of Noelia Saray Martinez-Avila, a Honduran national accused of causing a fatal crash involving two Wisconsin teenagers. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Martinez-Avila on August 13, weeks after she allegedly drove the wrong way on a highway in Dane County and collided head-on with another vehicle. The crash resulted in the immediate death of 18-year-old Hallie Helgeson and critically injured 19-year-old Brady Heiling, who later succumbed to his injuries on July 25. Martinez-Avila is now facing felony vehicular homicide and impaired driving charges filed by Wisconsin authorities.

According to ICE, due to Dane County's "sanctuary" policies, local officials provided less than an hour's notice before attempting the arrest. Despite this limited timeframe, agents successfully apprehended Martinez-Avila, thereby preventing what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described as "a serious public safety threat" from being released back into the community.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a press release that "Hallie Helgeson and Brady Heiling had their whole lives ahead of them—and they would still be alive today if it weren’t for Noelia Saray Martinez-Avila—a criminal illegal alien from Honduras." McLaughlin emphasized that despite receiving less than an hour's notice from this sanctuary jurisdiction, ICE managed to arrest Martinez-Avila and ensure that this public safety threat was not released onto U.S. streets. She further noted that under Secretary Noem, efforts will continue to seek justice for these teenagers.

Cortes is also known as President of League of American Workers and serves as a senior political advisor to CatholicVote. His previous roles include serving as a senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance, as well as being a commentator for Fox News and CNN. Cortes frequently publishes documentaries and columns at cortesinvestigates.com.