Fairfax County, Va., not only refused to comply with hundreds of federal immigration detainer requests, it released some of the most evil and dangerous foreign criminals straight back onto the streets to keep victimizing Americans.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed Wednesday that Fairfax County lefties have ignored at least 1,670 detainers between 2023 and 2025. That doesn't even include the ones from this year. “By REFUSING to cooperate with ICE law enforcement and releasing criminals from jail into our neighborhoods, Fairfax sanctuary politicians are putting American lives at risk,” ICE emphasized.
Walvin Victor Hugo Garcia, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, was arrested for felony charges of rape of a child less than 13 years of age, aggravated sexual battery of a victim under 13 years of age, use of a computer to commit sex offense with a minor, and distributing drugs to a minor.
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) October 21, 2026
ICE listed a few examples of the kind of “monsters” whom Fairfax County lefties refused to hand over to the feds.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA: Roni Mendez-Escobar, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of child pornography and illegal re-entry. When ICE lodged a detainer for him after his arrest in October 2025, sanctuary politicians in Fairfax County, Virginia refused to honor it and RELEASED him into their community. Fortunately, their attempts to protect this pedophile failed and ICE arrested him. He will now be behind bars where he belongs, and @ICEgov will be ready to deport him so he can never threaten another American child.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 21, 2026
There are, of course, countless examples of Fairfax County authorities endangering citizens to protect illegal aliens. The county's Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano last year dropped murder charges against illegal alien Marvin Fernando Morales-Ortez. Within a day of his release, Morales-Ortez murdered another man in Reston. Descano also dropped dozens of charges, including rape, against Abdul Jalloh, who subsequently murdered Stephanie Minter. Descano's obviously pro-crime policies have drawn DOJ scrutiny.
Related: California Man Said ICE Stole His Wife. Police Now Say He Murdered Her.
This year, illegal alien rapist Alberto Ruiz Mendoza ought to have received a sentence of life in prison, according to WJLA ABC7 reporter Nick Minock. Instead, Descano reduced the charge and made sure that Mendoza received a paltry 90-day sentence. Subsequently, Descano saw that even that pathetic sentence was suspended. To top it off, Descano dropped charges of brandishing a firearm, issuing a threat in writing, and gun possession by an unlawful alien.
After Fairfax County schools and law enforcement spent months protecting serial assaulter Israel Flores Ortiz, Fairfax finally allowed ICE to arrest Ortiz in August. As recently as September 30, ICE highlighted Honduran illegal alien Oscar Evaristo Nunez, a child sex criminal whose crimes included aggravated sexual battery of a kid under 13, and whom Fairfax County released despite an ICE detainer. ICE highlighted Nunez when condemning Fairfax County.
Given the more than 1,600 ignored detainer requests, the list of examples obviously could go on and on, but you get the idea. Northern Virginia Democrats hate ICE more than they hate crime.