Trump Administration Criticizes Biden, Virginia County After Released Immigrant Allegedly Commits Murder

The Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration has launched sharp criticism at both the Biden administration and Fairfax County, Virginia over what they describe as “sanctuary policies” that led to a deadly incident this week. The controversy centers around Marvin Morales-Ortez, a 23-year-old Salvadoran national living illegally in the United States, who allegedly shot and killed a man just one day after being released from police custody.

According to DHS officials, Morales-Ortez illegally entered the United States in September 2016 near Hidalgo, Texas, accompanied by his mother. They were subsequently “released into the country by the Obama administration,” DHS stated. The agency further noted that in 2022, the Biden administration dismissed Morales-Ortez’s immigration proceedings and classified him as “a non-enforcement priority.”

“There is blood on the hands of Fairfax County politicians for pushing policies that released this illegal alien from Salvadoran from jail and onto the streets of Virginia,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a pointed statement. “Fairfax county refused to honor ICE’s detainer and release him into their custody. Just hours after being released from jail, he committed murder in cold blood.”

The sequence of events began when Morales-Ortez was arrested on September 14 on malicious wounding and brandishing a firearm charges. These charges were later dropped by the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, led by Steve Descano, who has received backing from George Soros. The prosecutor’s office explained their decision, stating: “The charges were nolle prossed due to insufficient evidence to move forward with the criminal case. The victim told police that they had moved out of the country and would not be coming to court to cooperate in proceedings, regardless of timing.”

Following his release on Tuesday, police allege that Morales-Ortez shot and killed a man in his Northern Virginia home the very next day. After a manhunt, authorities arrested Morales-Ortez. Court records indicate he had been charged with at least seven crimes in Fairfax County prior to this incident and was a suspected MS-13 member.

The case has intensified the ongoing debate over immigration enforcement policies and cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. Both the Fairfax County Police and Descano’s office maintain that decisions regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers fall under the purview of the sheriff’s office, led by Stacey Kincaid.

When contacted, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office defended their actions, stating: “The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office follows all local, state, and federal laws when determining whether a person is subject to release. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is automatically notified any time a person is booked into the ADC. In this instance, ICE was aware of Morales Ortez’s incarceration and elected not to seek a judicial warrant to ensure he remained in custody.”

Adding another layer of political significance to the case, Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger is reportedly considering Sheriff Kincaid for a top position within the Virginia State Police, according to local news outlet WJLA-TV.

The incident has drawn harsh criticism from public safety advocates. Sean Kennedy, president of Virginians for Safe Communities, a group critical of Descano, told Fox News Digital: “For Steve Descano’s office, letting violent criminals out to commit more crimes isn’t a bug, it’s a feature. But he bungles so many cases you can’t always tell where the incompetence ends, and the ideology begins.”

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement priorities and local law enforcement policies, particularly in jurisdictions that have been labeled as “sanctuary” communities by critics. Such policies typically limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.