A Haitian migrant has been accused of a fatal beating at a Florida petrol station - a violent attack US President Donald Trump seized on to argue for stricter immigration policies.
Rolbert Joachin is charged with homicide after he allegedly struck a woman repeatedly with a hammer and killed her on 3 April, US officials said on Friday.
Trump shared a graphic video of the incident and reiterated his calls to end deportation protections for Haitian migrants.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration's attempt to eliminate deportation protections for more than 350,000 Haitian immigrants, who are allowed to live and work in the US with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), in February.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that the video of the slaying was one of the most vicious things you will ever see. He said this one killing should be enough for judges to stop impeding my Administration's Immigration Policies.
The video, also shared online by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), shows a man attacking a woman before walking away.
Micah McCombs, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, described the footage as senseless and stated that it is a video one can never unwatch during a news conference.
Local police requested the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to locate Joachin, who was quickly arrested.
Joachin entered the US in August 2022. Although he had a final order of removal against him issued in 2022, the Biden administration granted him TPS, which protects him from deportation until it expires in 2024.
TPS is designed to prevent deportation of immigrants from countries facing unsafe conditions, whether due to natural disasters or other crises. However, the Trump administration has contended that TPS is being used excessively, arguing that it has evolved into a de facto permanent residency program.
The US Supreme Court is set to hear the case regarding TPS for Haitians, with oral arguments scheduled for this month.
The Department of Homeland Security announced that Joachin will be deported regardless of his legal proceedings.
