NEW ORLEANS (TND) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Louisiana took a man into custody Tuesday during his court hearing for allegedly hitting and killing a New Orleans journalist with his car.

Jorge Alberto Martinez-Sanchez was being arraigned on negligent homicide and traffic-related charges for the death of Mark Deane, according to local station WDSU. Deane was a WGNO news producer who Louisiana State Police said died after Martinez-Sanchez hit his motorcycle.

ICE said Martinez-Sanchez entered the U.S. without approval, WDSU noted.

Martinez-Sanchez was driving on a bridge spanning the Mississippi River near New Orleans on Friday before he hit Deane and caused him to go airborne, according to a press release from the Louisiana State Police. WDSU reported that Martinez-Sanchez was speeding and driving without a license.

Deane was declared dead at the scene, state police said.

During Martinez-Sanchez's arraignment, a judge ordered him to be held without bond, pointing to ICE’s efforts to detain him and his rejected application for a visitor visa in 2019, according to WDSU. Martinez-Sanchez's attorney told the outlet he would try to revisit the judge’s decision.

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"We need to have some time to do a little bit more research ourselves, and hopefully we can come back and get a bond set,” he said. “We understand the judge’s concern. I think she’s being very cautious in this situation – I guess atypical situation – but moving forward we do plan to revisit it.”

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill called the situation “heartbreaking” on social media, adding that Martinez-Sanchez is an “illegal alien.” Gov. Jeff Landry blamed the Biden administration for Deane’s death.

"It never should have happened. Our Administration will continue to fight back against the radical immigration policies of the Harris/Biden Administration that allowed for this tragedy to occur,” he wrote on X.

Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.