DHS blasts Spanberger on potential release of illegal migrant with 30+ arrests currently charged with murder
The Department of Homeland Security blasted Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger after a criminal illegal migrant with over 30 arrests was accused of stabbing a mother in the Washington, D.C.-area and now could be released from custody.
Abdul Jalloh, 32, was recently arrested for allegedly stabbing a 41-year-old woman to death at a bus stop in Fairfax County, Virginia, in late February. He was charged with murder, but Spanberger's office reportedly indicated she would not honor a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer. A governor's spokesperson told WJLA that DHS would need to take an extra step and seek a signed judicial warrant from a local judge instead in order to ensure that Jalloh is deported.
"Sanctuary [Gov. Abigail Spanberger] is fighting to protect a MURDERER over American citizens," DHS posted to X. "This monster is responsible for fatally stabbing Stephanie Minter."
"ICE does NOT need judicial warrants to make arrests," the post continued. "The heroes of ICE will continue to arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens across the Commonwealth while Governor Spanberger RELEASES them from jails into Virginia communities to commit more crimes and create more victims."
Jalloh, an illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone in West Africa, was arrested at a liquor store the day after allegedly murdering Stephanie Minter at a bus stop. An employee of the store called 911 accusing Jalloh of shoplifting.
DHS says Jalloh entered the country in 2012 and has more than a dozen arrests in northern Virginia alone, but he was released back to the streets on nearly every occasion.
DHS also says his criminal history "includes more than 30 arrests for charges of rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft, trespassing, larceny, firing a weapon, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pick pocketing."
In early February, Spanberger ended cooperation with state agencies and federal immigration authorities through an executive directive.
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"I have serious concerns that chaotic federal law enforcement actions across the country are eroding years of trust built by our officers within the communities they serve," Spanberger said in a statement following the executive directive. "When state and local law enforcement are pulled away from investigating crimes and upholding our Virginia laws to do the job of federal agents, it weakens their ability to deepen trust within their communities."
"This contributes to a culture of fear and distrust that makes it harder for officers to do their jobs," Spanberger added.
Spanberger reversed an order, 287(g), which was issued by former GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin. It allowed local law enforcement officers to perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction and oversight, which includes preventing criminal illegal migrants from being released back into the community and identifying illegal migrants already locked up in local jails.
"If, for some reason, this monster gets released, [Spanberger] will not let ICE know when he's being released," Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said during a Senate hearing on Tuesday. "I would think in a different time and a different place that we could all actually agree that if somebody is here illegally, and they're being released from prison that we would let federal law enforcement know about it."
Spanberger’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment but told ABC7 on Monday that DHS will need to request a judicial warrant if Jalloh is to be detained by ICE.
"As a former federal law enforcement officer who conducted joint search and arrest warrants alongside state and local officers, Governor Spanberger firmly believes that violent criminals who are in the United States illegally should be deported by immigration enforcement," Spanberger’s office said in a statement to WJLA. "DHS should request a signed judicial warrant to ensure this violent criminal is deported."