Congress will soon scrutinize Fairfax County’s sanctuary policies at an April House Judiciary hearing titled “Fairfax County, Virginia: The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies.” The need for that hearing is obvious.
On Feb. 23, Stephanie Minter was stabbed to death in Fredericksburg. The man accused of killing her, Abdul Jalloh, an illegal alien from Sierra Leone with dozens of prior arrests, had been released by local authorities despite requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take him into custody.
Minter’s death underscores the real-world consequences that can follow when local jurisdictions decline to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Unless Virginia leaders change course on policies that restrict how law enforcement agencies collaborate with ICE, similar failures will continue to put residents at risk.
On her first day in office, Gov. Abigail Spanberger rescinded former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s order requiring Virginia State Police and encouraging local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with ICE. Her administration has also suggested that local agencies should not honor ICE detainers unless officers provide a judicial warrant, which is above and beyond what the law requires.
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