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An illegal immigrant accused of fatally stabbing his coworker during an argument at a Michigan food processing plant should not be released back onto the streets, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Wednesday.
Valmir Djempsley, 20, a Haitian citizen, was charged in the June 30 slaying of 21-year-old Brandon Eduardo Velasquez Chavez at the Clemens Food Group plant in Coldwater.
The killing occurred during an argument between the two men, during which Djempsley allegedly chased Chavez with a knife before stabbing him in the back. Djempsley told authorities that Chavez headbutted him during an argument.
Valmir Djempsley, an illegal immigrant from Haiti, was charged with fatally stabbing his coworker, 21-year-old Brandon Eduardo Velasquez Chavez, at a Michigan food processing plant. (Getty Images; Department of Homeland Security)
Chavez died at the factory despite life-saving attempts by first responders. Local prosecutors noted that Djempsley was on a work visa at the time, according to local reports.
Djempsley entered the United States illegally through Texas in 2024, DHS said, and was subsequently released into the country by the Biden administration. He was charged with murder and has pleaded not guilty. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has filed a detainer request for Djempsley with local authorities.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents walk down a street during a multi-agency targeted enforcement operation in Chicago Jan. 26. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“This illegal alien barbarically stabbed his coworker to death,” said acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “This murderer was released into American communities by the Biden administration. If it weren’t for the reckless open border policies of the Biden administration, this criminal never would have been in our country in the first place, and his victim would still be alive.
“We have lodged a detainer asking Michigan to not release this dangerous criminal from jail without notifying ICE.”
At the time of the killing, the men were arguing over Chavez using one of Djempsley’s knives, according to an affidavit obtained by the Sturgis Journal.
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Djempsley was denied bond and is being held in the Branch County jail.
“The defendant at the time of this crime was a guest in our country. He should have been on his best behavior, but instead, he spilled the lifeblood of another human being,” a Branch County prosecutor said in court.
“This is the most serious violation known to humankind.”