As Bizarre as it Gets

In a story that perfectly captures the dangerous consequences of open borders and weak immigration enforcement, a New Mexico judge has been forced to resign after an alleged member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) was arrested at a residence connected to his family. Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano — a Democrat who has long aligned himself with the party’s permissive stance on illegal immigration — is now at the center of a growing scandal that should serve as a wake-up call to every American who believes in law, order, and national sovereignty.

Cano’s downfall began when federal authorities arrested Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, a Venezuelan national and suspected TdA gang member, on February 28. Ortega-Lopez was found living at a property owned by Cano’s wife, Nancy, in Las Cruces. Investigators discovered not only that Ortega-Lopez had entered the country illegally just months earlier — in December 2023 — but that he was also stockpiling weapons while living among other illegal aliens at what amounted to a sanctuary residence connected to a sitting judge.

Photographs obtained by law enforcement showed Ortega-Lopez brandishing firearms, participating in Christmas festivities with the Cano family, and fully integrated into the household. The weapons, according to his own statements, belonged in part to Cano’s daughter, April. Incredibly, despite this damning evidence, U.S. Magistrate Judge Damian L. Martinez ordered Ortega-Lopez released, claiming he was neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community. Let that sink in — an illegal alien with alleged gang ties and access to firearms, living in a judge’s guest house, walked out of court a free man.

This would be disturbing enough on its own, but what makes it even more appalling is that Judge Joel Cano, a Democrat, supported the very open-border policies that made this disaster possible. Democrats, from Joe Biden on down to local officials like Cano, have embraced a reckless immigration agenda that has turned border communities into war zones and allowed criminal operatives to embed themselves within American neighborhoods.

While the Trump administration has fought tooth and nail to shut down the flow of illegal immigrants — constructing border walls, increasing deportations, and imposing stricter asylum rules — Democrats have worked overtime to undermine those efforts. Whether through sanctuary cities, lenient judges, or sheer bureaucratic sabotage, the Left’s message has been clear: the border doesn’t matter, and anyone can come in — including gang members.

And now we see the result. A Democrat judge, directly tied to someone allegedly involved in an international criminal syndicate, is out of a job and under public scrutiny. But this isn’t just about one judge or one gang member. It’s about a system — one that the Democrat Party has corrupted in pursuit of political power and ideological delusion.

It’s also about two very different visions for America. On one side, you have President Donald Trump and the America First movement, who understand that a nation without borders is no nation at all. Trump has promised — and delivered — on policies that prioritize American safety, enforce immigration law, and remove dangerous individuals from our communities. His plan to deport illegal aliens, end birthright citizenship for children of non-citizens, and overhaul the immigration system is the only common-sense approach left.

On the other side, you have the Biden Democrats and local officials like Joel Cano who have bent over backward to accommodate illegals — even when they pose a clear threat to public safety. And when those policies go sideways, their response isn’t accountability — it’s silence, obfuscation, or resignation, like we saw here.

Let’s not forget: Ortega-Lopez didn’t just sneak across the border undetected. He was enabled by a system that has stopped caring about American citizens and started prioritizing the comfort of foreign nationals — legal or not. He met the Cano family through a home improvement gig. He was welcomed into their home. He joined them for holiday dinners. He gained access to their firearms. And the whole time, he was an illegal alien allegedly tied to a criminal gang that has wreaked havoc in Venezuela and throughout Latin America.

This is the grim reality of Democrat immigration policy. It isn’t hypothetical. It isn’t just “mean tweets” and partisan rhetoric. It’s an actual Venezuelan gang member living with a Democrat judge’s family, with guns, in New Mexico — and getting released by a federal court.

America is at a crossroads. The contrast couldn’t be clearer. Either we restore law and order, secure our borders, and put America First — or we continue down the path of chaos, corruption, and criminal infiltration. The Trump administration knows what time it is. The American people know what’s at stake. The only question is: how many more warnings do we need before we act?

We must demand real immigration enforcement. We must support leaders who are willing to fight for sovereignty. And we must reject the failed, dangerous policies of the Democrat Party — before it’s too late.