A triple murder in Lehigh Acres has garnered national attention even as it adds another factor to the debate over immigration, leading a Southwest Florida congressman to speak out against the Obama administration. Brian Omar Hyde, an illegal alien from Belize was arrested last week, accused of the murders of his aunt Dorla Pitts, her pregnant teenaged daughter Starlett Pitts and her boyfriend, Michael Kelly Jr. Hyde had a history of violence in his native Belize.
The murders received national attention with reports on the gruesome murder scene and Hyde’s illegal status.
U.S. Rep. Curt Clawson, R-Fla., a favorite of the tea party movement, weighed in on Monday, insisting the immigration system needed to be fixed and the Obama administration was not helping the matter.
“The failures of our broken immigration system have tragically manifested in Southwest Florida,” Clawson said. “Let us all first keep the victims of these unspeakable acts in our thoughts and prayers, and give thanks to the first responders and Sheriff Mike Scott's team for their thorough work to protect the public from further harm."
Clawson turned his fire toward the Obama administration for not securing the border and using executive actions to give illegals a path to citizenship.
“To those public officials who continue to ignore the problems of an unsecured border, please join the overwhelming majority of Americans in calling on this administration to enforce our border laws, not ignore them for political gain,” Clawson said on Monday. “When this administration advertises to youths in nations south of our border that our border is open to illegal immigration, it sets up tragic scenarios like what we have witnessed this past week in Southwest Florida, and in other recent events around the country.
“A protected, legal immigration system would not only keep better track of who is coming into our nation, but also ensure fairness to law-abiding immigrants,” Clawson concluded. “Our nation does not need another tragedy like this to remind Congress and the president that swift action is needed. Southwest Floridians have had enough."
Immigration is front and center in the Republican presidential primary as businessman Donald Trump unveiled his immigration plan on Monday. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., is scheduled to release his immigration plan at a media event later in the week.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
