The Department of Homeland Security delayed arresting an undocumented immigrant who worked as an intern for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) until after the Senator’s re-election, according to an Associated Press report.
The intern, an 18 year old Peruvian immigrant who overstayed his visitor visa, Luis Abrahan Sanchez Zavaleta, was targeted for arrest after being denied legal status under the president’s Deffered Action for Childhood Arrivals program due to a prior conviction for repeated sexual assault against an 8-year old.
According to documents requested by Senate Republicans, Sanchez was set to be arrested on October 25, but after a discussion that included mention of “the possibility of garnering significant congressional and media interest” with the case, the arrest was delayed until late November. A DHS official told the AP that the arrest was not delayed “for political purposes.”
