<
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/03/north-carolina-judge-deport-teen-murder-victim>
"An immigration judge in Charlotte, North Carolina, recently ordered the
deportation of a young man who was killed in 2024, citing his failure to appear
in court.
Judge Amy Lee ordered the removal of Levi Mendez-Maldonado in absentia on 21
May. Mendez-Maldonado, originally from Honduras, came to the United States as
an unaccompanied minor at age 17 and was murdered in a shooting in November
2024.
Becca O’Neill, a lawyer with the Carolina Migrant Network, was preparing to
represent Mendez-Maldonado, a young father and mechanic, in his asylum case and
deportation defense before his death.
In December 2024, she received notice of a preliminary hearing for
Mendez-Maldonado scheduled on 21 May 2026. Like all immigrants detained and
processed at the border, he was immediately put into deportation proceedings
upon arrival. This court date would have been an initial step in a process that
takes years.
O’Neill attended the 21 May meeting on his behalf. At the beginning of the
hearing, she notified Lee of her client’s death. O’Neill presented the court
with Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department (CMPD) records of
Mendez-Maldonado’s death. According to O’Neill, Lee found the CMPD records to
be insufficient proof of death, even though a death certificate was filed in
late 2024. The
Guardian has requested, but not received, a copy of the court
recording. Lee’s office could not be reached for comment.
The judge and the federal prosecutor continued with the hearing as planned
without acknowledging the reason for Mendez-Maldonado’s absence, said O’Neill.
“The whole thing probably took maybe five minutes. The attorney acted like we
were talking about the weather. The judge didn’t take a moment to reorient
herself after hearing he was dead.”
The court order states: “Despite the written notification provided, Respondent
failed to appear at the hearing, and no exceptional circumstances were shown
for the failure to appear. Therefore, the immigration court conducted the
hearing in absentia.” There is no mention of his death in the judge’s order,
obtained by the
Guardian.
Flabbergasted, O’Neill did not contest the final order.
“This is the banality of evil. All of this is so normalized and bizarre. Just a
boilerplate order: he didn’t come to court, he didn’t demonstrate good cause.
Well, he’s dead. And you know that because you saw a government website saying
that he’s dead.”"
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
