[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 82 (Wednesday, May 12, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E509]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            IN HONOR OF MESA POLICE SERGEANT BRANDON MENDOZA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ANDY BIGGS

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 12, 2021

  Mr. BIGGS. Madam Speaker, I rise in honor of Mesa Police Sgt. Brandon 
Mendoza who was tragically killed by an illegal alien 7 years ago.
  In the early morning hours of May 12, 2014, Sgt. Mendoza was driving 
home from his shift when he encountered an illegal alien driving under 
the influence of alcohol and meth. The illegal alien drove at high 
speeds in the wrong direction for 35 miles on four freeways in the 
Phoenix metro area. Despite law enforcement efforts to catch up to and 
stop the illegal alien, he ultimately collided head-on with Sgt. 
Mendoza, killing them both.
  Sgt. Mendoza's death was untimely and preventable. But it requires 
Democrats to get serious about enforcement of our immigration laws and 
putting American families first.
  Sgt. Mendoza's illegal alien killer had previously pled guilty to 
criminal conspiracy charges in Colorado, but, despite his illegal 
presence, he was not removed from the United States. Instead, he roamed 
free in our communities, ultimately choosing to drive without a license 
and while severely intoxicated.
  Today, there are more than 3 million illegal aliens with final orders 
of removal, many of whom are suspected or convicted criminals, living 
in American communities. President Biden should prioritize removal of 
these individuals before they can do any additional harm.
  I am enraged by President Biden's nonchalant attitude towards illegal 
immigration into the United States. In April, U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection apprehended a near record number of aliens attempting to 
illegally enter the United States, more than 173,000. President Biden's 
refusal to acknowledge the crisis at the border is a bold attempt to 
mislead the American public.
  Last week, I traveled to the southwest border with 10 fellow members 
of Congress to again see firsthand the damage of President Biden's new 
border policies. Sgt. Mendoza's mother, Mary Ann, joined us for a 
portion of the tour. Since her son's death, Mary Ann has been a fierce 
advocate for border security, pleading with the Obama and Biden 
Administrations to protect other American families from experiencing 
the same pain and suffering.
  During our visit, Mary Ann expressed concern that government leaders 
have forgotten families like hers and instead placed the interests of 
illegal aliens ahead of the interests of our nation. Families like Sgt. 
Mendoza's deserve to have their stories remembered. They deserve a 
government willing to protect them from the hands of illegal aliens.
  I will continue to fight for border security and enforcement of our 
immigration laws. Sgt. Mendoza and other victims of crime by illegal 
aliens deserve no less.

                          ____________________