A Haitian national charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a Pennsylvania Walmart employee first entered the United States through a Biden-era migrant parole program, according to Department of Homeland Security sources who spoke to Fox News.
Destino Jean-Louis, 23, is charged in the Oct. 21 death of 45-year-old Latosha Ann Cooper, who was shot outside a Walmart in Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, according to court documents and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, as reported by Fox News.
Haitian illegal immigrant charged in murder of Walmart employee came to US via Biden parole program: DHS https://t.co/jgHFvYEaZt pic.twitter.com/jdnr2Y9WWX
— New York Post (@nypost) October 28, 2026
Multiple DHS sources told Fox News that Jean-Louis arrived on Nov. 24, 2023, through Fort Lauderdale International Airport under the CHNV parole program, which the Biden administration created for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Those sources told Fox News that DHS revoked his legal status on June 12, 2025.
Arrested on immigration violations first
“On October 23, ICE arrested Destino Jean-Louis, a criminal illegal alien from Haiti, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,” DHS said in a statement to Fox News. The department said Jean-Louis was under investigation for homicide by Montgomery County and was transferred to local authorities on Oct. 26.
U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia said in a Monday post on X that Jean-Louis was arrested on the morning of Friday, Oct. 23, on the 6600 block of N. 18th Street for immigration violations, describing him as a Haitian national who overstayed his visa and the prime suspect in the shooting, according to Fox News. Prosecutors then charged him in the killing while he was in federal custody, Fox News reported.
“He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.,” DHS said in its statement to Fox News.
What investigators allege
According to the district attorney’s office, as reported by FOX 29 Philadelphia, the shooting happened just before 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 outside the store. Investigators allege Jean-Louis stood masked near a bush with a direct line of sight to the entrance, then ran toward Cooper as she left the building after her shift alongside another employee and shot her, FOX 29 reported.
Court documents state the two were married in March of last year and were trying to navigate the legal process that would let Jean-Louis remain in the country, according to FOX 29. An investigator stated that immigration officials interviewed the couple and declined to approve the petition after determining the marriage was not legitimate for immigration purposes, and Cooper withdrew her petition to sponsor him in July, FOX 29 reported, citing court filings.
Investigators also allege Jean-Louis repeatedly contacted Walmart employees seeking Cooper’s work schedule, according to Fox News. He is being held without bail at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, according to court documents cited by Fox News.
A program under scrutiny
The CHNV program allowed migrants from four countries to enter on humanitarian parole with a U.S. sponsor. The case is the latest in which the Trump administration has pointed to Biden-era parole entries in connection with serious crimes, and it lands one week before the midterm elections, as border security remains a central issue for voters.
Jean-Louis has been charged but not convicted, and the allegations against him have not been proven in court.
Sources
- Fox News: Haitian illegal immigrant charged in Walmart killing entered US via Biden parole program: DHS
- Fox News: Haitian national charged with murder of estranged Walmart employee
- FOX 29 Philadelphia: Man charged with murder in shooting of wife outside Cheltenham Walmart
- New York Post on X
Sources cited
- https://www.foxnews.com/politics/haitian-illegal-immigrant-charged-walmart-killing-entered-us-via-biden-parole-program-dhs
- https://www.foxnews.com/us/haitian-national-charged-murdering-estranged-wife-outside-walmart-green-card-marriage-goes-awry
- https://www.fox29.com/news/hattian-national-accused-gunning-down-former-romantic-partner-walmart-parking-lot
Sources
- Original post: New York Post (@nypost) on X, Oct 27, 2026
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