Father of Marine Killed in Hit-and-Run Speaks Out on Immigration Enforcement

The father of a U.S. Marine, killed in a hit-and-run crash involving an illegal immigrant, has shared his thoughts following the arrest of the suspect by federal authorities. Martin Martinez-Ballinas, a 38-year-old Mexican national, was apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on July 22 after serving a federal sentence for illegally reentering the United States. Martinez-Ballinas now faces deportation for the third time, as reported by federal officials.

Martinez-Ballinas was previously convicted in relation to a 2017 crash in Maryland, which claimed the life of 21-year-old Marine, James Ray Walden III. The Marine was killed in a head-on collision while Martinez-Ballinas was driving without a license or insurance.

“My son was 21 years old. He was just starting his life,” James Walden said during an appearance on The Will Cain Show. “He was in the Marine Corps, worked for Intel, and the National Security Agency as a crypto-analyst. His NSA boss considered him one of the most gifted analysts. They wanted him to join their workforce after his Marine Corps service.”

After being deported in 2020, Martinez-Ballinas attempted to illegally enter the U.S. again in Texas in 2021, resulting in a 15-month federal prison sentence. Upon his release in October 2022, ICE deported him again; however, he managed to reenter the country undetected, a situation ICE attributes to the Biden administration’s border policies. Martinez-Ballinas was eventually located and arrested in Maryland by agents in December 2023.

James Walden expressed disbelief over Maryland officials’ awareness of Martinez-Ballinas’ illegal status and history of arrests. Maryland authorities had reportedly known of Martinez-Ballinas’ presence in the country illegally and noted his five arrests between 2012 and 2017, after which he was released each time. Walden, who mourns the loss of his son, opposes the calls by some Democratic leaders to abolish ICE.

“Abolishing ICE is one of the most insane ideas I’ve ever heard,” Walden stated. “I cannot believe they are condemning our ICE agents and DHS for enforcing laws passed by Congress.”

When questioned on the necessity of immigration enforcement, Walden emphasized the tangible impact of his son’s tragic death as justification for its importance. “You can’t predict it, but you can prevent it,” he highlighted.

Walden credits President Donald Trump for bolstering immigration enforcement, describing the former President’s leadership as effective. “I believe that he’s probably going to go down as one of the greatest presidents in this country,” Walden remarked. “He stood by what he said, did what he claimed he would do.”