An illegal alien enrolled in former President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program received nearly $19,000 in United States taxpayer money after driving recklessly in the sanctuary state of California.

In 2018, DACA illegal alien Edgar Torres Gutierrez was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving by the Laguna Beach Police Department. After being held in police custody for 15 hours, Gutierrez was turned over to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

On behalf of Gutierrez, the ACLU of Southern California and the UC Irvine School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic claimed the Laguna Beach Police Department violated California’s sanctuary state law that prohibits local law enforcement from turning illegal aliens over to ICE agents.

Now, in a settlement with the Laguna Beach Police Department, Gutierrez pleaded guilty to reckless driving and was rewarded $18,750 in U.S. taxpayer money for being turned over to ICE.

“I acknowledge that and I am at fault for that and I am dealing with the consequences of that,” Gutierrez told ABC 7 News. “What isn’t correct is for police to be working with ICE to deport a DACA recipient.”

“If this is happening to me, that means this is likely happening to other DACA recipients,” Gutierrez said. “Maybe not other DACA recipients, but other immigrants as well. So it’s important for me to make a stand.”

Illegal aliens are winning cases against law enforcement across the country, claiming their constitutional rights have been violated. Weeks ago, an illegal alien from Mexico was rewarded $85,000 in U.S. taxpayer money in Marysville, Washington after law enforcement would not release him back into the public following assault charges. The illegal alien claimed police violated Washington’s sanctuary state law.

While illegal aliens are able to sue the federal government, states, and localities for claims that their rights have been violated, Angel Families who have lost loved ones to illegal alien crime have no route to suing sanctuary jurisdictions for shielding suspects and convicted felons.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.