Immigration Reform News 2015: Gang Member Charged With Murder Spared from Deportation Thanks to Obama Immigration Program

U.S. authorities have admitted that an illegal immigrant and known gang member who faces four murder charges was inadvertently allowed to stay in the United States under President Obama's executive actions.

In a letter dated April 17 to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who had raised questions about the case, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Leon Rodriguez acknowledged that murder suspect Emmanuel Jesus Rangel-Hernandez was allowed in August 2013 to remain in the U.S. after he applied seven months earlier to be included in Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program.

Rodriquez said Rangel-Hernandez's application was approved even though a federal crime database indicated he was a "known gang member."

"Based on the standard procedures and protocols in place at the time, the DACA request and related employment authorization should not have been approved," said Rodriguez.

Hernandez was charged with murder last February for the death of four people in North Carolina.

After the approval of Hernandez's deferred action request was approved, immigration proceedings were administratively closed on Dec. 18, 2013.

As a result, Hernandez was given a notice last March 5 that his DACA and employment authorization was terminated.

Rodriguez said in cases where the applicant was a known gang member, the request should have been denied by an adjudicator.

Because of the Hernandez case, Rodriguez said a refresher training has been provided for all immigration service officers who process DACA requests.