The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated on Wednesday that an undocumented immigrant, accused of murdering his coworker within a Michigan food processing facility, should not be granted release back into the public.
Valmir Djempsley, aged 20 and hailing from Haiti, faces charges related to the June 30 incident where he allegedly killed 21-year-old Brandon Eduardo Velasquez Chavez at the Clemens Food Group plant located in Coldwater.
The incident reportedly unfolded during a conflict between the two men, leading to Djempsley allegedly pursuing Chavez with a knife and stabbing him in the back. Djempsley claimed Chavez had headbutted him during their argument.
Valmir Djempsley, an undocumented Haitian national, is charged with the murder of coworker Brandon Eduardo Velasquez Chavez at a Michigan-based food processing plant. (Getty Images; Department of Homeland Security)
Chavez tragically succumbed to his injuries at the scene despite efforts from first responders to save his life. According to local reports, prosecutors highlighted that Djempsley was actively on a work visa during the time of the incident.
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.
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.”