The death of a 12-year-old girl in Texas inflames the debate between Trump and Biden over immigration

12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston

 

The death of a 12-year-old girl in Texas inflames the debate between Trump and Biden over immigration.

12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston

The death of a 12-year-old girl in Texas inflames the debate between Trump and Biden over immigration.

Police say immigrants have been arrested for the murder of a 12-year-old girl.

The White House and Biden campaign on Friday responded to the death of a 12-year-old girl in Houston after two suspects charged with capital murder were found to be undocumented immigrants.

Jocelyn Nungaray was discovered Monday in a shallow creek after being strangled to death, according to the Houston Police Department.

A White House spokesman said: "Our thoughts are with Jocelyn Nungaray's family and loved ones."

"We cannot comment on active law enforcement cases," the spokesperson continued. "But fundamentally, anyone found guilty of this type of heinous and horrific crime must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."

Johan Jose Martinez Rangel, 22, and Franklin Pena, 26, were arrested and charged with her murder.

Both men had ICE immigration violations on their court records. According to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson, Martinez and Pena crossed the border illegally. On March 14, Martinez was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas. On the same day, he was released on a recognizance order with a notice to appear. Pena was arrested by the Border Patrol on May 28 near El Paso. He was released on an arrest warrant with a notice to appear on the same day of his arrest.

It needs to be made clear when they make their way to Houston.

The White House's response comes as immigration and border security have become a major issue for voters heading into the November election. An NBC News poll in April found that 22% of registered voters said immigration and the border situation were the country's most important issues.

Former President Donald Trump blames the Biden administration's border policies for Nungarai's death. On Thursday, he said on Truth Social: "We have a new murder of immigrants."

The Biden campaign responded by pointing to Trump's role in scuttling the border agreement between the two parties in Congress.

"Donald Trump is making Americans less safe by obstructing a border deal," said Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for the Biden campaign.

An NBC News review of city data shows that overall crime levels are falling in major cities that received the most immigrants from Texas, including Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C.

Nungarai's death is the latest crime suspected of being committed by immigrants that have created political storms, even though studies have shown that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born citizens.

A few days ago, an illegal immigrant was arrested and charged with raping a 13-year-old girl in broad daylight in New York City. Another was charged with the murder of Rachel Morin, a mother of five from Maryland.

The man accused of killing Laken Riley, Jose Antonio Ibarra, was previously arrested after crossing the border into the United States.

Trump cited Reilly's death in his campaign for the White House, and Biden referred to Ibarra as "illegal" during his State of the Union address, a term he later said he regretted using.

Trump also highlighted the case of Ruby Garcia, who an illegal immigrant allegedly killed. During a campaign event in April, he said that he had spoken with Garcia's family, which Garcia's sister denied.