When Justice Is Denied: The Case of Jose Reyes Leon-Deras

No matter what you believe about the pros and cons of illegal immigration, one thing is certain: child rapists should not be walking free. Protecting children from violent predators must take priority over protecting illegal aliens from deportation.

Except, apparently, in Denver.

Last Friday, anti-ICE activists helped Salvadoran national and illegal immigrant Jose Reyes Leon-Deras evade arrest by tipping him off to ICE agents’ location. He fled before they arrived. His current whereabouts are unknown.

What is known? He is a convicted child rapist and a fugitive from justice in Italy.

The Content of Their Character

I struggle to put into words the outrage and sorrow this provokes. So I’ll borrow from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Dr. King spoke these words in the 1960s fight for civil rights. But they ring true today—for a different reason.

Anti-ICE activists ignore the content of character. They treat all illegal immigrants as one indistinguishable group—poor, oppressed, marginalized, worthy of protection. Even violent criminals like Leon-Deras are cast as victims. In the twisted logic of the far left, the government is always the enemy, and illegal immigrants, no matter their crimes, must be “saved” from it.

In their eyes, Leon-Deras isn’t a predator—he’s a symbol. A martyr. A man to be defended, not judged.

When Narratives Replace Justice

This moral blindness extends beyond immigration. Consider the $536,375 raised for the defense of Karmelo Anthony, a 17-year-old Black teen who brought a knife to a school sporting event, inexplicably sat with the opposing team, and fatally stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf—an unarmed White student who confronted him. Anthony claims self-defense, but the facts look grim. Still, the money pours in. Why? Because he fits a narrative. Because saving him is more important than justice for Austin.

The Cost of Ideology

And Leon-Deras? He’s still out there. Free. A convicted child rapist—possibly seeking his next victim. But the activists who protected him aren’t worried. Odds are, it won’t be their child.

And if it’s yours? Too bad.

Because for these activists, it’s not about people—it’s about ideology. Not your safety, not your family, not the rule of law. You, your children, and your community are just collateral damage in their crusade against order.

A Nation of Laws--or Not

If we are to remain a nation of peace and order, ICE must succeed—especially in removing violent criminals. If we fail to uphold our laws, we won't have a country worth sneaking into.