Grand Rapids Reporter

Michigan State Senator Lana Theis has described the death of Ruby Garcia, allegedly at the hands of an illegal immigrant, as a "tragic case of senseless violence." This statement was made in a press release on March 28.

"Ruby Garcia's death breaks my heart, and I grieve with her family, friends and all who knew and loved her," said State Sen. Lana Theis. "Her loss is another tragic case of senseless violence, allegedly killed by a man with a criminal past who is in our country illegally. Ruby's family would not be facing this sad reality had the system not failed to ensure an illegal immigrant with an arrest record couldn't enter the country. Crimes committed by illegal immigrants are regularly in the news and their frequency is growing across the United States."

According to WWMT local news, Garcia's body was discovered on the side of highway U.S. 131 on March 22. Her confessed killer, Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 25, had been in the U.S. illegally after being deported in 2020 following his arrest for illegal entry into a home in Wyoming and driving without a valid license. Ortiz-Vite, a Mexican citizen, is now facing charges that include felony murder, open murder, carjacking, carrying a concealed weapon and felony firearm.

Despite Ortiz-Vite's previous deportation, he managed to re-enter the country, according to WZZM local news. Pete Hoekstra, Chairman of Michigan Republican Party said: "It's why we really do need to secure our border; we're in favor of immigration. But let's manage our immigration process. You know, personally, I'm an immigrant. My parents emigrated; we came through a process. And that's what we need to get back to." Meanwhile U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten (D) told WZZM: "I'm continuing to push for bipartisan immigration reform that both secures our border and makes sure that individuals who come to our country are fully vetted to keep our communities safe."

According to her website, Senator Theis represents Michigan's 22nd Senate District.