Illegal immigrant suspect charged in crash that killed police officer and his girlfriend

The woman charged in the drunken driving crash that killed an off-duty Connecticut police officer and his longtime girlfriend last month is in the U.S. illegally, federal authorities said Monday, as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) urged state officials not to release her if she is freed from custody.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to Fox News Digital that ICE lodged a detainer against Melissa Esperanza Ramirez Romero, 27, days after the Stamford woman was arrested in connection with the July 13 head-on crash that killed Bridgeport Police Officer Cooper Whiteside, 38, and Brittany Islami, 34.

"Melissa Esperanza Ramirez-Romero is a criminal illegal alien with charges for Vehicular Manslaughter and DUI. On July 26, 2026, ICE lodged a detainer against her," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

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In a post on X, DHS wrote that "an illegal alien KILLED A COP in Danbury, Connecticut" and urged Connecticut's "sanctuary politicians" to cooperate with ICE and ensure Ramirez is not released back into the community.

Ramirez is charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, operating under the influence, traveling unreasonably fast and failure to drive in the proper lane.

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Danbury police said the crash happened around 2:45 a.m. July 13 on Sugar Hollow Road, where a Jeep Compass collided head-on with a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Officers found Whiteside of Danbury and his passenger, Islami of New Milford, dead at the scene. Ramirez was taken to Danbury Hospital with serious injuries.

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Whiteside, a Danbury native who dreamed of becoming a police officer since childhood, graduated third in his police academy class and served with the Bridgeport Police Department for two years before he was killed.

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The department mourned Whiteside's death the day after the crash, saying he "served with selfless dedication" while extending its condolences to his family and loved ones.

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"Rest easy, brother," the department wrote. "We'll take it from here."

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The DHS announcement came as Connecticut officials worked to correct false claims that Ramirez had been registered to vote.

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Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas said in a video that Ramirez has never been registered to vote in Connecticut and that an innocent U.S. citizen with the same name was mistakenly identified online, leading to death threats against the unrelated woman.

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"The defendant charged in connection with the July 13 crash that killed an off-duty Bridgeport police officer is not and has never been registered to vote in Connecticut," Thomas said. "The voter registration record circulating online belongs to a different person entirely. Another Melissa Ramirez, a United States citizen who lives in New Britain, is legally registered to vote in Connecticut."

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Danbury police also warned that multiple people with similar names had been mistakenly identified online and urged the public to verify information before sharing it.

Ramirez remained held on a $500,000 bond pending her next court appearance.