A Mother’s Tragic Loss and the Immigration Debate

In the aftermath of a devastating Thanksgiving weekend crash, Jackie Cruz Acencio is living through every parent’s worst nightmare. Her 8-year-old daughter Arya is gone, and her U.S. Marine husband Oscar remains in critical condition, having lost a leg and suffered a traumatic brain injury. The alleged perpetrator was Bryan Josue Alva-Rodriguez, a 25-year-old Guatemalan citizen who, according to immigration authorities, was in the United States illegally and had previously been ordered deported following two DUI arrests. As Jackie struggles with her grief, her personal tragedy has become entangled in the national debate over immigration enforcement.

“I care very deeply for these people that want to have a better life. I really do, but I have no sympathy for the driver that hit me and my family,” Jackie told Fox News in an exclusive interview. The pain in her voice is palpable as she recounts the horrific crash that changed her family forever. According to authorities, Alva-Rodriguez was allegedly intoxicated when he crossed a double yellow line and crashed head-on into the Cruz Acencio family’s vehicle as they returned home from Thanksgiving celebrations. The suspect now faces charges of murder, vehicular manslaughter, and driving under the influence, while being arraigned from his hospital bed.

The tragedy of little Arya’s death is compounded by what immigration officials describe as preventable circumstances. According to ICE, Alva-Rodriguez entered the United States illegally in February 2018 and was arrested by Border Patrol agents in Calexico, California. He was issued a notice to appear before an immigration judge and released. While his immigration case proceeded, he was charged with DUIs in September 2020 and April 2021. An immigration judge ordered him deported in March 2023, but authorities say he failed to leave the country as required. “Now an innocent life has been lost in a tragedy that could have been prevented,” the San Diego ICE office stated publicly after the crash.

For Jackie, the memory of the accident remains vivid and painful. She recalls seeing her daughter immediately after the impact, noting that the child wasn’t breathing but appeared to be sleeping. “At that moment, I wasn’t thinking like, ‘oh, she’s dead.’ I just kind of didn’t think about it,” she explained, describing the shock that initially shielded her from fully comprehending what had happened. Reality crashed in when she was later informed that Arya had not survived. Now, while processing her overwhelming grief, Jackie must also support her husband Oscar through his extensive recovery at a Navy hospital in San Diego. “We didn’t deserve it, and nobody does,” she said, giving voice to both her sadness and anger.

This heartbreaking incident has emerged amid intensifying national discourse about immigration enforcement, particularly regarding the issuance of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to undocumented immigrants. In recent months, the Department of Transportation has been engaged in a public dispute with California Governor Gavin Newsom, alleging that the state illegally issued non-domiciled CDLs to migrants. The federal department claims that several immigrants held CDLs that remained valid even after their work permits had expired, creating what they describe as a public safety risk. California has been given until January 5 to revoke these allegedly illegal licenses, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatening to withhold nearly $160 million in federal funding if the state fails to comply with the deadline.

As policy debates continue in government chambers, the Cruz Acencio family faces a much more immediate and personal reality. Jackie must somehow find the strength to grieve her daughter while supporting her critically injured husband through a long and uncertain recovery process. Her tragedy has become a painful illustration of the human consequences that can result when immigration enforcement systems fail. While Jackie acknowledges empathy for those seeking better lives through immigration, her family’s devastating loss has left her with a pointed perspective on the importance of enforcement measures, especially for those with records of dangerous behavior. “I’m angry,” she admits, “and he shouldn’t have been here in the first place.”