Murder Victim`s Family Presses for Immigration Enforcement

The family of 14-year-old Shatavia Anderson, who was murdered by an illegal alien, are angry at the lackadaisical border control that made the killing possible.

Slain girl’s family demands immigration crackdown, Houston Chronicle, August 13, 2010

Family members of a teen gunned down last week railed against America’s immigration policy on Friday after learning one of the suspected gunmen was in the country illegally.

Melvin Alvarado, 22, and Jonathan Lopez-Torres, 18, have been charged with capital murder in the Aug. 7 shooting death of 14-year-old Shatavia Anderson.

Immigration officials have said Alvarado was deported in April 2008 and again in May 2009.

Shatavia’s uncle, Joe Lambert, said the country’s policy on immigration is “a big problem.”

“It’s really senseless, what happened to my niece, and I do not like it.” Lambert said. “They’re starting to come over here and they can do whatever they want. What you’re doing is giving them a green light telling them, ‘Hey, you can do whatever you want.’ ”

Lopez-Torres is a lawful permanent resident from Honduras.

The two men appeared Friday in court, where relatives of Anderson donned memorial T-shirts and called for tougher enforcement of immigration laws.

“I would like to see what they’re doing in Arizona done here,” Lambert said, referring to recent laws targeting illegal immigration in the Grand Canyon state.