Tom Homan: These politicians are ‘nuts’
ICE has arrested Giovana Mercedes Moreno Ochompy, a former Illinois high school teacher and unauthorized immigrant, in a case tied to a triple murder involving the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Chicago police had previously released her under the city’s sanctuary policies without alerting federal immigration authorities, a move criticized by former acting ICE Director Tom Homan, who argued that such rules obstruct federal law enforcement and put public safety at risk.
Federal officials said Monday that the woman accused in a suspected drunken-driving crash that killed an off-duty Connecticut police officer and his longtime girlfriend last month is in the United States illegally. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is now asking state authorities to keep her in custody if she becomes eligible for release.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to News Outlet that ICE filed a detainer for Melissa Esperanza Ramirez-Romero, 27, after the Stamford woman was arrested in connection with the July 13 head-on collision that killed Bridgeport Police Officer Cooper Whiteside, 38, and Brittany Islami, 34.
“Melissa Esperanza Ramirez-Romero is a criminal illegal alien with charges for Vehicular Manslaughter and DUI. On July 26, 2026, ICE lodged a detainer against her,” a DHS spokesperson told News Outlet.
DHS also addressed the case in a post on X, saying that “an illegal alien KILLED A COP in Danbury, Connecticut” and calling on Connecticut’s “sanctuary politicians” to work with ICE to prevent Ramirez-Romero from being released back into the community.
Melissa Esperanza Ramirez-Romero was charged in connection with the July 13 crash that killed Bridgeport Police Officer Cooper Whiteside and Brittany Islami. (Danbury Police Department)
Ramirez-Romero faces two counts of second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, along with charges of operating under the influence, traveling unreasonably fast and failing to drive in the proper lane.
According to Danbury police, the crash occurred at about 2:45 a.m. on July 13 along Sugar Hollow Road, when a Jeep Compass and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle collided head-on.
Officers found Whiteside of Danbury and his passenger, Islami of New Milford, dead at the scene. Ramirez-Romero was taken to Danbury Hospital with serious injuries.
Bridgeport Police Officer Cooper Whiteside, who was killed in a July 13 crash in Danbury, Connecticut, shares a moment with his dog in an undated family photo. (Bridgeport Police Department / X)
READ MORE: Beloved Teacher, 6 Kids Among 8 Victims in Suspicious Michigan Fire
Whiteside, a Danbury native who dreamed of becoming a police officer since childhood, graduated third in his police academy class and served with the Bridgeport Police Department for two years before he was killed.
The department mourned Whiteside’s death the day after the crash, saying he “served with selfless dedication” while extending its condolences to his family and loved ones.
“Rest easy, brother,” the department wrote. “We’ll take it from here.”
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer is seen in an undated file photo. Federal authorities said ICE lodged a detainer against the Connecticut woman charged in a crash that killed an off-duty Bridgeport police officer and his longtime girlfriend. (Getty Images)
The DHS announcement came as Connecticut officials worked to correct false claims that Ramirez-Romero had been registered to vote.
Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas said in a video that Ramirez-Romero has never been registered to vote in Connecticut and that an innocent U.S. citizen with the same name was mistakenly identified online, leading to death threats against the unrelated woman.
“The defendant charged in connection with the July 13 crash that killed an off-duty Bridgeport police officer is not and has never been registered to vote in Connecticut,” Thomas said. “The voter registration record circulating online belongs to a different person entirely. Another Melissa Ramirez, a United States citizen who lives in New Britain, is legally registered to vote in Connecticut.”
Danbury police also warned that multiple people with similar names had been mistakenly identified online and urged the public to verify information before sharing it.
Ramirez-Romero remained held on a $500,000 bond pending her next court appearance.
