In a virtual press conference on Monday, U.S. Representative Derrick Van Orden criticized President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over their immigration policies. He used the recent arrest of Venezuelan immigrant Alejandro Jose Coronel Zarate to highlight what he described as widespread criminal activity among immigrants.
Last week, Prairie du Chien police arrested 26-year-old Zarate following a violent incident involving a woman and child. Zarate faces multiple charges, including domestic disorderly conduct, domestic battery, strangulation/suffocation, physical abuse of a child, and second-degree sexual assault. He also has outstanding warrants in Dane County for similar offenses and is suspected of having gang affiliations.
Prairie du Chien Police Chief Kyle Teynor described the incident as “shocking” due to its brutality.
Van Orden criticized the Biden administration for allowing Zarate, who has gang tattoos, to enter the country. “This isn’t a Harley Davidson tattoo,” he said, questioning why violent gang members are permitted to enter and move freely within the U.S. He described this as “unforgivable.”
The press conference is part of a broader Republican critique of immigration and border enforcement, which is a major theme in the upcoming fall elections. Former President Donald Trump is campaigning on a platform that includes deporting 20 million undocumented immigrants, and Republican candidates are spotlighting crimes committed by undocumented individuals.
In 2023, unauthorized border crossings reached record highs, leading to an agreement between Republicans and the Biden administration to boost enforcement spending and address asylum case backlogs. However, Trump’s opposition to this deal, aiming to use immigration as a campaign issue, caused it to collapse.
Recent data show a decline in border crossings, with July seeing the lowest levels since Biden took office in 2021.
Van Orden emphasized that he supports legal immigration but called for an end to illegal border crossings. “This is not a partisan issue,” he said. “It’s a human rights issue. American citizens are being harmed by criminal, illegal aliens, and it must stop.”
Van Orden, who serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, stressed the distinction between legal migrant labor and illegal immigration. He expressed support for the H-2A visa program, which provides temporary visas to migrant workers for farm work. However, he acknowledged that year-round dairy farm workers, who make up 70% of Wisconsin’s dairy labor force, are not eligible for these visas.
“Farmers need immigrant labor,” Van Orden said. “So does the hospitality and construction industries. We need to support lawful immigration to bolster these sectors, but I am firmly against allowing known criminals into the country.”
John Rosenow, a dairy farmer from Buffalo County, expressed frustration with the divisive rhetoric surrounding immigration. He attended an event with Van Orden’s staff and urged them to reduce the negative focus on immigrants. “We don’t generalize the actions of a few bad Americans to everyone,” Rosenow said. “We shouldn’t do it with immigrants either.”
Rosenow also pointed out that the H-2A program does not benefit dairy farmers, as it is designed for temporary seasonal work and excludes year-round operations like dairy farms. “It means nothing to dairy farmers,” he concluded.