Prosecutor pushes back on Jim Jordan's claim his office goes easy on undocumented migrants
U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), currently the top contender in the race to be the next Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, is pursued by reporters prior to a second round of voting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Attorney Stephen Descano pushed back Thursday against House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan's (R-OH) allegations that Fairfax County, Virginia, has a policy against prosecuting undocumented immigrants who commit crimes.
Jordan repeatedly pressed Descano about changes to his campaign website, citing a statement that his office would "take immigration consequences into account when making charging and pleading decisions."
Descano flatly denied the characterization, claiming, "Your statements that we're not, don't want to prosecute guys, is absolutely false."
He then clarified that the campaign website language did not represent county policy and that his office prosecutes all defendants regardless of immigration status.
Jordan cited a specific case involving Mr. Morales Ortíz, whom he said was released after Descano declined to prosecute. But Descano insisted immigration consequences were "absolutely not" a factor in prosecution decisions, accusing Jordan of misrepresenting his actual policies.