While liberal politicians and sanctuary city cheerleaders trip over themselves to coddle illegal immigrants, another American family is burying their son. Nathaniel “Nate” G. Baker, a 21-year-old junior at the University of South Carolina, was killed on Wednesday in a hit-and-run accident caused by—wait for it—an illegal alien who should’ve been deported years ago.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the suspect, 24-year-old Rosali I. Fernandez-Cruz of El Salvador, was already subject to a deportation order after illegally entering the U.S. in 2016 and being ordered to leave in 2018. But thanks to the porous borders and selective enforcement that Democrats defend with religious zeal, he was still roaming free. Now, Nate Baker is dead.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said it plainly: “Nate should be alive today.” Let that sink in. This wasn’t just a traffic accident—it was a completely avoidable tragedy that never should have happened. A sovereign nation that enforces its laws doesn’t let a deportation order slide for nearly six years.
Yesterday, 21-year-old USC student Nathanial “Nate” Baker was driving a motorcycle when he was hit by a truck driver who fled the scene. The hit & run driver was in our country illegally.
Nate should be alive today. @DHSgov prays for Nate’s family, friends, and loved ones and… pic.twitter.com/BKtVVJuqM9
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) April 3, 2025
Here’s what we know: Nate was riding his motorcycle near campus in Columbia, South Carolina, when Fernandez-Cruz allegedly failed to yield while turning left, plowing his truck into Nate and then fleeing the scene. Not only did this man, who was in the country illegally and driving without a license, leave the scene of the accident—he ran from the vehicle and tried to disappear. Fortunately, police caught up with him just a few blocks away. Two other men who were with him also fled the scene. Their immigration status? “Unknown.” That’s reassuring.
According to Columbia Police, Fernandez-Cruz faces several charges including hit-and-run resulting in death, failure to render aid, and driving without a license. He is currently being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, but if the past tells us anything, it’s that the justice system might coddle him like it has so many other illegal immigrants who break our laws.
Meanwhile, Nate’s family and friends are left grieving. A business major from Virginia, Nate was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and beloved by his classmates and fraternity brothers. His fraternity described him as “a leader, a role model, and a true embodiment of what our fraternity stands for.” The university said counseling services are being made available to help students deal with the loss. That’s nice. But how about we also make sure no more college students are mowed down by people who shouldn’t even be here?
Let’s cut through the nonsense. The open-border policies pushed by the Biden administration and its allies in state and local governments are not just “humanitarian” or “compassionate.” They’re deadly. Every illegal immigrant who skips the line and stays here unlawfully puts the safety, resources, and lives of law-abiding Americans at risk. And when someone like Fernandez-Cruz—who had been ordered to leave the country almost six years ago—is still here and ends up killing a promising young student, that’s not a policy failure. That’s a betrayal.
And don’t expect the mainstream media to spotlight this story for too long. It doesn’t fit their narrative. But imagine for a moment if the roles were reversed—if Nate had been the one who struck and killed someone illegally present in the U.S. You’d never hear the end of it.
President Trump has repeatedly warned about the dangers of weak border enforcement and the consequences of allowing ICE detainers to be ignored. He was right then, and he’s right now. Every sanctuary policy, every refusal to cooperate with immigration authorities, and every delay in deportation is an invitation for chaos.
This story should be a turning point. No more hand-wringing, no more excuses. It’s time to enforce our immigration laws like our lives depend on it—because clearly, they do.
