Full Breakdown
DHS Links ICE Arrest to Democratic Candidate in Pennsylvania Midterm Race
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ICE Arrest and DHS Campaign Reference
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a press release after ICE detained a Nigerian man for indecent exposure, explicitly noting his alleged work for Democratic congressional candidate Janelle Stelson in a Pennsylvania battleground district. The release quoted Charles Wall, deputy director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calling it “unbelievable” that Stelson would employ an illegal alien who then exposed himself in public. The agency’s statement tied the criminal incident to the political campaign, a connection not required for the immigration enforcement action.
Background of the Pennsylvania Congressional Race
Stelson, a former local television personality, is seeking a second term against Republican Rep. Scott Perry in the state’s 10th Congressional District. The race is viewed as pivotal for determining control of the U.S. House in the upcoming November midterms. Campaign-finance filings do not list any payments to the arrested individual, and Stelson’s campaign has denied that he was an employee.
Official Statements
DHS asserted that the man, identified as Chimaobim Adedayo Igbojekwe, entered the United States legally in 2017 but remained beyond his authorized period, and that he had been granted deferred action by the previous administration in 2021. The agency’s release relied on a police report indicating that Igbojekwe was distributing flyers for Stelson’s campaign when he was stopped and subsequently arrested for disorderly conduct and indecent exposure. Stelson’s campaign responded that, if the individual is an illegal immigrant who committed a crime, he should be deported, and expressed gratitude to law-enforcement for the arrest.
Criticism and Hatch Act Complaint
Donald Sherman, director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, alleging that the DHS release violates the Hatch Act, which bars federal officials from using their positions to influence elections. Sherman characterized the agency’s action as an unprecedented politicization of a law-enforcement announcement. The complaint argues that the reference to Stelson’s campaign was unrelated to any election-related crime and constituted an improper use of government resources.
Legal and Procedural Details
According to the police report, Igbojekwe was initially stopped in a Harrisburg suburb after an officer observed exposed genitalia upon opening his vehicle door. He claimed he was in the neighborhood to hand out campaign flyers. He was charged with disorderly conduct and indecent exposure, pleaded guilty to the former, and was later taken into ICE custody. His public defender has not commented on the case.