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STATEMENT

Fairfax County politicians refused to honor the ICE detainer and released Morales-Ortez back into Virginia.

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The statement can’t be verified or falsified (e.g., opinion, intent, or unfalsifiable claims). Learn more in Methodology.

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Source summary
DHS condemned Fairfax County’s sanctuary policies after Marvin Fernando Morales-Ortez, an undocumented immigrant with prior arrests, allegedly shot and killed a man in Reston, Virginia on December 17, 2025 — reportedly one day after county officials declined to honor an ICE arrest detainer and released him. ICE had lodged a detainer on September 14, 2025 following his arrest for assault and brandishing a firearm; Morales-Ortez was later charged with second-degree murder and firearms offenses. DHS criticized local officials in a statement by Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin and directed victims to the VOICE Office for support.
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Latest fact check

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a press release on June 20, 2025, announcing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had lodged a detainer for Saul Morales-Garcia, a criminal illegal alien charged with attempted murder in New York. (dhs.gov) However, there is no publicly available information confirming whether Fairfax County officials honored this detainer or released Morales-Garcia back into Virginia. Fairfax County's policy, as stated by Sheriff Stacey A. Kincaid, is to detain individuals only when a formal judicial warrant is received, not based on informal requests or detainers. (fairfaxcounty.gov) Without specific details about the case, it is impossible to verify the claim that Fairfax County politicians refused to honor the ICE detainer and released Morales-Garcia back into Virginia. Therefore, the statement cannot be verified with the available information.

Sources

Timeline

  1. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 08:57 AMUnverifiable
    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a press release on June 20, 2025, announcing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had lodged a detainer for Saul Morales-Garcia, a criminal illegal alien charged with attempted murder in New York. (dhs.gov) However, there is no publicly available information confirming whether Fairfax County officials honored this detainer or released Morales-Garcia back into Virginia. Fairfax County's policy, as stated by Sheriff Stacey A. Kincaid, is to detain individuals only when a formal judicial warrant is received, not based on informal requests or detainers. (fairfaxcounty.gov) Without specific details about the case, it is impossible to verify the claim that Fairfax County politicians refused to honor the ICE detainer and released Morales-Garcia back into Virginia. Therefore, the statement cannot be verified with the available information.
  2. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 07:46 AMTrue
    On December 16, 2025, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano dismissed charges against Marvin Morales-Ortez, an undocumented Salvadoran national with a criminal history. The following day, Morales-Ortez allegedly committed a homicide in Reston, Virginia. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had issued a detainer for Morales-Ortez, but the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office did not honor it, releasing him into the community. Sheriff Stacey Kincaid's policy requires a judicial warrant to detain individuals beyond their release date, and ICE did not provide one in this case. (fairfaxcounty.gov) This policy has been consistent, as seen in previous instances where Fairfax County officials declined to honor ICE detainers. (ice.gov) Therefore, the statement that Fairfax County politicians refused to honor the ICE detainer and released Morales-Ortez back into Virginia is accurate.
  3. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 07:01 AMTrue
    Fairfax County officials released Marvin Fernando Morales-Ortez, a Salvadoran national with a criminal history, despite an ICE detainer request. The next day, he allegedly committed a homicide in Reston, Virginia. ICE criticized the county for releasing him, stating that the tragedy could have been prevented if they had cooperated. (breitbart.com) The Fairfax County Sheriff's Office, however, stated that a judicial warrant was not on file, which is required to hold an inmate past their release date. (westernjournal.com)
  4. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 05:53 AMClose
    Fairfax County officials released Marvin Fernando Morales-Ortez, a Salvadoran national with a criminal history, despite an ICE detainer request. The following day, Morales-Ortez allegedly committed a murder in Reston, Virginia. The Fairfax County Sheriff's Office stated that without a judicial warrant, they could not honor the ICE detainer. (westernjournal.com) This incident highlights the tension between local policies and federal immigration enforcement. While the statement is not entirely accurate, it is close enough for a reasonable person to conclude that Fairfax County officials released Morales-Ortez despite an ICE detainer request.
  5. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 05:05 AMClose
    Marvin Fernando Morales-Ortez, a Salvadoran national with a criminal history, was released from Fairfax County custody on December 16, 2025, despite an ICE detainer request. The following day, he allegedly committed a murder in Reston, Virginia. Fairfax County officials stated that without a judicial warrant, they could not honor the ICE detainer. This incident has sparked debate over local policies regarding ICE detainers and public safety. While the statement that Fairfax County politicians refused to honor the ICE detainer and released Morales-Ortez back into Virginia is accurate, the term "sanctuary politicians" is a subjective characterization and may not fully capture the complexity of the situation.
  6. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 04:23 AMTrue
    Fairfax County officials released Marvin Fernando Morales-Ortez, an undocumented Salvadoran national, despite an ICE detainer request. The next day, Morales-Ortez was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in Reston, Virginia. An ICE spokesman criticized the county's decision, stating that releasing Morales-Ortez instead of honoring the detainer "failed the victim." (breitbart.com) The Fairfax County Sheriff's Office defended its actions, noting that ICE did not provide a judicial warrant, which is required to hold an individual beyond their court-ordered release date. (westernjournal.com) Therefore, the statement that Fairfax County politicians refused to honor the ICE detainer and released Morales-Ortez back into Virginia is accurate.
  7. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 02:54 AMUnverifiable
    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a press release on December 19, 2025, calling on Fairfax County politicians to honor an ICE detainer for a criminal illegal alien. However, the specific individual referenced in the DHS release is not named, making it impossible to verify the claim that Fairfax County politicians refused to honor the detainer and released the individual back into Virginia. Without the individual's identity, we cannot confirm the accuracy of the statement. Therefore, the claim remains unverifiable.
  8. Update · Dec 20, 2025, 11:46 PMTrue
    Marvin Fernando Morales-Ortez, a Salvadoran national with a criminal history, was released from the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on December 16, 2025, despite an ICE detainer request. The Fairfax County Sheriff's Office policy requires a judicial warrant to detain individuals beyond their release date, and ICE did not provide one in this case. The following day, Morales-Ortez allegedly committed a murder in Reston, Virginia. (wtop.com) This incident highlights the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office's adherence to its policy of requiring judicial warrants for detaining individuals beyond their release date.
  9. Update · Dec 20, 2025, 08:44 AMin_progress
    Marvin Fernando Morales-Ortez, a Salvadoran national with a criminal history, was released from Fairfax County custody on December 16, 2025, despite an ICE detainer request. The Fairfax County Sheriff's Office stated that without a judicial warrant, they could not hold him beyond his release date. (ffxnow.com) The following day, Morales-Ortez allegedly committed a murder in Reston, Virginia. (wtop.com) This incident has sparked debate over the county's policy of not honoring ICE detainers without judicial warrants. While some argue that the release was in accordance with local policies, others contend that it led to a preventable tragedy. The situation remains under investigation, and further details may emerge as authorities continue to review the circumstances.
  10. Original article · Dec 19, 2025
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