President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m. on Friday at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Florida, as part of his midterm‑election push. The rally comes as the White House uses a recent homicide in the city to underscore the administration’s immigration‑enforcement record.
White House emphasizes consequences of open‑border policies
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital that the brutal hammer killing of a local mother illustrates the fallout from the Biden administration’s immigration approach. “A few short months ago, an illegal immigrant barbarically killed a woman outside a gas station in Fort Myers by hitting her on the head with a hammer multiple times,” Bis said.
Bis added that the suspect was released into the United States under the Biden administration and later granted Temporary Protected Status, calling it “the result of Democrats’ open‑border policies.” She warned, “If you import the third world, you become the third world.”
Details of the Fort Myers homicide
According to the Department of Homeland Security, surveillance video captured the suspect, Haitian national Rolbert Joachim, smashing a windshield before repeatedly striking the victim, a gas‑station clerk and mother of two teenage daughters, with a hammer in broad daylight. The woman died at the scene.
Fort Myers police enlisted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to locate Joachim, who was arrested on Mango Street. DHS records show Joachim entered the United States in August 2022 and was released under the Biden administration. Although a federal judge issued a final removal order that year, he later received Temporary Protected Status, which expired in 2024.
Trump administration’s immigration record
The White House highlighted that the Trump administration has achieved 15 straight months with zero border releases and a plunge in apprehensions, citing a 94 % drop. It also noted that more than three million people who were in the United States illegally have been removed under the current immigration crackdown.
President Trump previously condemned the killing on Truth Social, calling the surveillance video “one of the most vicious things you will ever see” and blaming the Biden administration for allowing the suspect into the country. He wrote, “This one killing should be enough for these radical judges to stop impeding my administration’s immigration policies.”
Local political context
Fort Myers lies in Lee County, a stronghold for President Trump. In the 2024 presidential election, Trump won 63.6 % of the county vote, compared with 35.3 % for former Vice President Kamala Harris, according to official county results.
The rally is part of Trump’s broader campaign tour supporting Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. As the president prepares to address supporters, the administration is positioning the Fort Myers tragedy as a stark reminder of the need for robust immigration enforcement.
Legal proceedings
ICE placed an immigration detainer on Joachim after his arrest, and he faces deportation regardless of the outcome of his criminal case. Local prosecutors have announced they will seek the death penalty.
As the community mourns the loss of a beloved mother, local leaders and residents are urged to consider the broader implications of immigration policy on public safety.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
