This tragic story is one that hits close to home for many of us.
On December 12, 2024, a wrong-way driver caused a crash that took the life of Metropolitan Police Department officer Colton Pulsipher, a 29-year-old husband and father of three. Officer Pulsipher was returning home from work when he was struck on Interstate 15 near mile marker 75 in Nevada.
Sadly, he died at the scene.
Las Vegas police officer Colton Pulsipher was memorialized and buried last week.
He lost his life to a wrong-way driver who’s an illegal named Fernando Jimenez-Jimenez.
If we had a secure border, Pulsipher’s three children would still have their father.
Source: @libsoftiktok pic.twitter.com/NvDR9ggzNy
— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) December 23, 2024
Las Vegas police officer Colton Pulsipher was memorialized and buried last week.
He lost his life to a wrong-way driver who’s an illegal named Fernando Jimenez-Jimenez.
If we had a secure border, Pulsipher’s three children would still have their father.
Source: @libsoftiktok pic.twitter.com/NvDR9ggzNy
— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) December 23, 2024
The driver who caused the crash, 31-year-old Fernando Jimenez-Jimenez, also lost his life.
Last week, Nevada News and Views own Chuck Muth raised an important question:
“Why isn’t law enforcement confirming or the media reporting on the wrong-way driver’s immigration status? It’s widely believed he was an illegal immigrant. What’s with the coverup?”
It’s a question that’s been on many people’s minds. The fact that Jimenez-Jimenez had been ordered to leave the country, but was still driving on U.S. roads, is a critical part of this story.
Here’s where the story takes a serious turn.
Jimenez-Jimenez was not supposed to be in the United States.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jimenez-Jimenez, a Mexican citizen, entered the country in 2019. He was quickly sent back to Mexico under a process known as “expedited removal.” This is supposed to prevent people from staying in the U.S. without permission.
But in January 2020, Jimenez-Jimenez tried to come back. Despite the initial rejection, an immigration judge ordered that he be removed again in December 2021.
Yet, somehow, Jimenez-Jimenez was still on U.S. roads in December 2024—leading to this awful crash.
This issue isn’t just about a single tragedy.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a tragedy like this. Earlier this year, Kurt Englehart, a Senior Advisor to Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, was killed in a similar crash caused by an illegal immigrant driver. An 18-year-old illegal immigrant, Elmer Rueda-Linares, was arrested in connection to the death.
Englehart left behind a young son. Officer Pulsipher’s death is a painful reminder of this. He, too, leaves behind his wife, Ashlee, and three young children.
Two innocent American lives lost, both tragedies linked by the same issue: weak immigration enforcement.
Conservatives have long argued that a country without secure borders is one that risks its own safety. When people are allowed to enter the country illegally, or stay even after being ordered to leave, it puts everyone at risk.
Opponents of stricter immigration policies, including the Nevada Senator herself, say that we need to focus on the welfare of people trying to enter the country, pointing out that many are just seeking a better life.
Just two days before Reueda-Linares illegally entered the U.S. Masto said:
“There are no open borders. There are so many children! These children are fleeing for their lives.”
BREAKING
On April 6th, Kurt Englehart, an advisor to Sen. Cortez Masto (D), was tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident caused by illegal immigrant, Elmer Rueda-Linares.*TWO DAYS* before Rueda-Linares illegally entered the U.S. on March 12, 2021, Cortez Masto claimed… pic.twitter.com/LzknjbRJRB
— Courtney Holland (@hollandcourtney) April 17, 2024
But this argument misses the fact that security should come first.
It’s not just about fairness to immigrants, but fairness to American citizens like Officer Pulsipher, who risk their lives to keep us safe.
Individuals who are ordered to leave the U.S. don’t and many end up committing crimes. This creates a dangerous situation for law-abiding citizens.
Looking ahead, conservatives must push for stronger border security and better immigration enforcement. Congress should prioritize funding for law enforcement agencies to ensure that those ordered to leave the U.S. actually do.
More resources need to go into tracking and removing people who overstay their visas or enter illegally. If we don’t act, we risk more tragedies like this.
This is a time for common sense. We need to take action now to protect our communities and honor the sacrifice of officers like Colton Pulsipher.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
