Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Kennedy's Kind of Immigrant -- From Human Events

Where even to begin with the story of 19-year-old Edwin Larios Munoz?

A former Honduran refugee who testified before Congress three years ago about the struggles of young immigrants was charged Monday with killing a pregnant woman and her unborn child.

A look back at his Congressional testimony reveals that it was rather chilling and heartbreaking -- if true. The February 2002 hearing was chaired by Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), who remarked at the end that the immigrant could look forward to a new life with his foster family in Michigan, and wished him well in his goal of becoming an FBI agent..

KENNEDY: Well, I'll tell you, your worst days are behind you, and I think you'll find that -- know that that family that's welcomed you cares for you and loves you, and I think you'll find people around the communities so happy that you're here. We're so happy that you're here, and we admire you very, very much. We think you'll be a very good FBI -- they'll be very, very lucky -- they'll be very lucky to get you. So I hope the United States will live up to your dreams, because we're all trying to make it that way.


I have not seen any news reports that tell whether his alleged victim was the mother of his foster family. Meanwhile, Munoz is being charged under Michigan's equivalent of the Federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act.

The charge in the death of the fetus -- a girl who was named Luz Maria by her father -- is the first filed in Kent County under the state's Prenatal Protection Act, a law inspired by a Grand Rapids case.

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