Fairfax County, Virginia IGNORED 1,670 ICE detainers over 2 years, undercharged criminal illegal aliens: Judiciary Committee report

"This interim report provides evidence of the ways in which just one local jurisdiction has implemented policies that allow dangerous foreign nationals to reoffend and avoid deportation,” the Judiciary report from the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement revealed. “But Fairfax County and prosecutor Steve Descano are not outliers. They are indicative of a modern, radical, socialist Democrat Party that seeks to erase national borders and place illegal alien criminals ahead of law-abiding American citizens. The policies supported by these Democrats, including sanctuary policies, will have negative and lasting consequences for Americans. The Committee and Subcommittee will continue to conduct oversight of these sanctuary policies to inform potential legislative reforms to better protect American communities."

The report said Descano’s office rarely pursued charges or under-charged illegal immigrants ranging from DUI to assaulting an officer and accused him of "de facto" decriminalizing those offenses.

"In a preliminary review of nonpublic documents and public records, including more than 1,100 criminal cases, the Committee and Subcommittee have identified more than 100 previously unreported criminal aliens who benefited from Descano’s repeated refusal to prosecute and his under-prosecution,” the report said.

The report, titled "Fairfax County, Virginia: The dangerous consequences of sanctuary policies," also says Descano misled Congress about his policies.

In May testimony, Descano said his policy was "written with legal permanent residents in mind for minor crimes." In a September letter, however, he conceded that it could also apply to illegal immigrants. His campaign site once pledged that when "possible," his office would "make charging and plea decisions that limit or avoid immigration consequences." It also stated that "if two people commit the same crime, but only one's punishment includes deportation, that's a perversion of justice and not a reflection of the values of Fairfax County."

The cases cited by the report included that a child sexual assault felony was reduced to misdemeanor "consensual sex with a child," with a 90-day suspended sentence.

In another case, a serial fraudster Chinese national had more than 50 dropped fraud charges and Descano “allowed multiple aliens charged with malicious wounding, strangulation, and assault and battery to escape accountability and reoffend,” the report said.

Additionally, alleged MS-13 member Marvin Morales-Ortez also had his charges dropped and was released in December 2025. He allegedly killed a man in Reston, Virginia the following day.

Sheriff Stacey Kincaid blamed the lack of prosecution, saying, “The system must work as a whole. When criminal defendants are prosecuted, authorities are better able to track court dates and monitor releases. In this instance, the unscheduled dismissal of criminal charges led to the release of an individual who had been discharged from violent felonies. As Sheriff of Fairfax County, I have no say in the prosecution of any inmate.”

The report also highlighted the fatal stabbing of Stephanie Minter in February. The suspect, Abdul Jalloh, is an illegal immigrant with more than 40 prior Fairfax charges, nearly all of which were dropped. Police had warned prosecutors that "it is not a question of if, but rather when [Jalloh] will maliciously wound — or worse — again."

Her mother, Cheryl Minter, told the committee the "system failed my daughter." She added: "When policies protect people who are a known threat, innocent lives are put at risk. When warnings are ignored, families like mine pay the price."