Point Pleasant Beach, NJ — A deadly crash involving a repeat offender living in the country illegally has ignited fierce political backlash, with Assemblyman Paul Kanitra publicly challenging Attorney General Matt Platkin to defend the state’s sanctuary-style policies.
It happened when Raul Luna-Perez, an undocumented immigrant with a lengthy record, was involved in a fatal collision that killed 33-year-old Maria Pleitez and her 9-year-old daughter Dayanara Cortes in what authorities say was a drunk driving crash.
It turns out Luna-Perez had been arrested and released twice for DWI and was arrested once for domestic violence in Red Bank. Both times, he was released by police under New Jersey’s Bail Reform Act and the Attorney General’s Immigrant Trust Directive.
Perez, was illegally living in the United States from Mexico and authorities knew this each time, but were handcuffed by the AG’s directive.
The deceased mother, Pleitez, a legal U.S. citizen and mother of two, was described as a hardworking member of the community and employee of a local business in Kanitra’s district.
Her life and her daughter’s, Kanitra says, were cut short because of what he calls “insane policies” that allowed Luna-Perez to remain in the country despite a prior criminal history.
The above post on X shows Paul Kanitra confronting New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.
In a social media post on Monday, Kanitra demanded a public debate with AG Platkin, accusing the state of prioritizing “criminals who are here illegally” over law-abiding residents. He specifically cited New Jersey’s Immigrant Trust Directive—a policy that limits local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities—as a factor in the tragedy.
“Why was this violent repeat drunk driver even here to cause this horrific crash?” Kanitra wrote, pointing to public anger over how Luna-Perez allegedly avoided deportation despite past offenses.
The crash has reignited debate around New Jersey’s status as a “sanctuary” state and the 2018 directive issued under former AG Gurbir Grewal, which restricts local police from holding undocumented immigrants for ICE without a judicial warrant. Supporters say the policy improves community trust and public safety by encouraging undocumented residents to report crimes without fear of deportation. Critics argue it shields repeat offenders from removal and endangers the public.
Attorney General Matt Platkin not only continued that directive but also enhanced it to provide even more protections for criminal illegal aliens in New Jersey.
Neither the Attorney General’s office nor Governor Phil Murphy has responded publicly to Kanitra’s remarks. The Office of the Attorney General previously stated that the Immigrant Trust Directive does not prevent federal authorities from pursuing deportation on their own.
Luna-Perez remains in custody as the investigation into the fatal crash continues. He was removed from local custody and taken to the Delaney Hall immigrant detention facility in Elizabeth, out of reach from the liberal prosecutors and judges who had released this man three times prior.
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Key Points
- Raul Luna-Perez is accused in a crash that killed a mother and her daughter in New Jersey
- Assemblyman Paul Kanitra is demanding a public debate on the state’s Immigrant Trust Directive
- The case has intensified scrutiny of New Jersey’s policies on cooperation with federal immigration authorities