The phrase “Maryland Man” used to be a simple news shorthand. Now it has become a symbol of political dysfunction: how the left rallies to defend illegal immigrants — even those charged with heinous crimes — while ordinary Marylanders are left behind.
What started with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the so-called “original Maryland Man,” has become a disturbing trend. Time and again, illegal immigrants with Maryland ties are arrested for violent crimes, but instead of treating these cases as failures of immigration enforcement, Democratic politicians and sympathetic media turn them into cause célèbres.
The Growing List of “Maryland Men”
Hugo Hernandez-Mendez — The Murder of Dacara Thompson
The most recent case to shock Maryland came in September 2025, when 19-year-old Dacara Thompson was found murdered after going missing from Prince George’s County. Police allege Hernandez-Mendez, a Guatemalan national in the country illegally, lured her into his SUV, took her to his Bowie home, murdered her, and dumped her body off a bridge.
Hernandez-Mendez had previously been arrested on DUI charges earlier in the year but was released. ICE has since placed a detainer on him, but that’s cold comfort to a family who lost their daughter because Maryland’s system allowed a dangerous illegal immigrant to remain free.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia — The “Original” Maryland Man
In March 2025, Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador in what the Biden administration later called an “administrative error.” A federal judge even ordered officials to facilitate his return, despite ICE alleging Garcia was tied to MS-13, child abuse, and human smuggling.
Maryland Democrats rushed to his defense. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Jamie Raskin treated him as a victim of injustice, proving to many Marylanders that their leaders prioritize the rights of illegals over the safety of their own citizens.
The MS-13 Terrorist Trio (Constanza-Galdamez, Valenzuela Rodriguez, Pesquera Puerto)
Maryland has long been a hotspot for MS-13 activity, and three members — Wilson Constanza-Galdamez, Edis Omar Valenzuela Rodriguez, and Jonathan Josue Pesquera Puerto — were recently arrested in a sweeping racketeering conspiracy. Their charges include murders and attempted murders meant to bolster the gang’s presence in Maryland communities.
These are not “dreamers” seeking opportunity — they are hardened criminals whose only dream is domination through violence.
Victor Martinez Hernandez — The Rachel Morin Case
The brutal 2023 killing of Rachel Morin on the Ma & Pa Trail in Harford County exposed Maryland’s vulnerability. Her killer, Victor Martinez Hernandez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was convicted in 2025 and sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years.
Her death shook the state, yet it quickly faded from political discourse because it did not fit the narrative that Democrats want to tell about “harmless” migrants.
Madai Gamaliel Amaya — Repeat Offender
Amaya, a Honduran national, was convicted of rape in 2009 but remained in the United States. In 2024, he was arrested again by ICE in Maryland — one of over 150 sex offenders picked up by Baltimore ICE agents that year. His case demonstrates the revolving door of enforcement failures and the dangers of letting repeat offenders remain in our communities.
Brayan Eleazar Angulo-Barrios — The Ignored Detainer
In Hyattsville, Angulo-Barrios, a Salvadoran national, was released by Prince George’s County despite ICE lodging a detainer against him. Only later did ICE manage to apprehend him. This case highlights how sanctuary policies actively undermine federal law enforcement.
Reza Zavvar — The Dog-Walker Arrest
In July 2025, ICE agents detained Reza Zavvar in Gaithersburg, Maryland, while he was walking his dog. Media outlets rushed to label him a “Maryland Man” and portray him as a victim of ICE’s overreach, despite his immigration violations. Again, the label was used not for accuracy but for sympathy.
Ian Roberts — The Superintendent Scandal
Perhaps the most shocking case is that of Ian Roberts, the Des Moines Public Schools superintendent. Arrested by ICE, Roberts was exposed as an illegal immigrant who somehow managed to not only live in the U.S. but to run an entire school district. Even more alarming, he was a registered Democrat in Maryland, despite not being a U.S. citizen.
This case underscores how deeply the system has failed: an individual with no legal right to be here was placed in charge of children’s education — and was even integrated into Maryland’s political machinery.
A Growing Trend
These cases are not outliers. They are part of a pattern where illegal immigrants with Maryland connections commit crimes, evade enforcement, and then receive political and media cover. The “Maryland Man” label has become shorthand for this trend — one that shows no signs of slowing down.
Democrats and progressive activists frame these individuals as victims of a broken immigration system, ignoring the reality that they are here illegally and, in many cases, have criminal records. Citizens, meanwhile, are left to deal with the consequences: lost lives, shattered families, and communities destabilized by gang violence.
Why Maryland?
Maryland’s sanctuary policies, coupled with its political climate, make it a magnet for illegal immigrants seeking protection from federal enforcement. Jurisdictions like Montgomery County and Prince George’s County regularly refuse ICE detainers, prioritizing ideology over safety.
And when tragedy strikes, the political class rushes not to protect victims like Rachel Morin or Dacara Thompson, but to protect the perpetrators from deportation.
Conclusion: Citizens Last
From gang members to repeat rapists, from a superintendent to a teenager’s killer, the roll call of “Maryland Men” keeps growing. Each case is a warning that the system is broken — and that Maryland’s leaders care more about scoring political points than protecting their own citizens.
Until politicians put citizens first, the phrase “Maryland Man” will remain a grim reminder of what happens when lawlessness is excused, and justice is sacrificed on the altar of ideology.
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