Former President Donald Trump has shared a graphic video depicting a brutal hammer attack in Fort Myers, Florida, using the incident to renew his focus on immigration policies. The suspect, identified as an undocumented Haitian man, has been charged with murder, and Trump has leveraged the case to criticize the Biden administration’s approach to border security and immigrant protections.
The incident occurred at a convenience store in Fort Myers, Florida, on April 2, where Rolbert Joachin, 40, allegedly attacked a woman with a hammer. Surveillance footage shows Joachin repeatedly striking the woman after she exited the store. Authorities identified Joachin through the video and arrested him later the same day. He has been charged with murder, criminal mischief, and damage to property. The victim, identified by local reports as Nilufa Easmin, was a clerk at the gas station and a mother of two.
Trump posted the disturbing video on Truth Social, describing it as “one of the most vicious things you will ever see” and referring to the suspect as an “animal.” He explicitly linked the attack to the immigration policies of the current administration, criticizing the granting of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitian immigrants. Trump has a long history of advocating for stricter immigration enforcement and has frequently used crimes committed by immigrants to support his platform.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Joachin entered the U.S. in August 2022 and had a prior removal order. However, he was granted TPS, a program that protects individuals from deportation if their home country is unsafe. This status expired in 2024. Trump’s administration had previously sought to terminate TPS for Haitians, but these efforts were blocked by federal judges. The administration has since appealed to the Supreme Court. Critics and data analyses have often refuted claims of a widespread migrant-driven crime wave in the U.S.
Members of the Bangladeshi community in Fort Myers, to which the victim reportedly belonged, expressed deep sadness over the killing. The incident has drawn national attention, amplifying the ongoing political discourse surrounding immigration and public safety.