More Voter Fraud Charges Scream For The Senate To Pass The SAVE America Act
A Canadian man who lives in Massachusetts, is accused of voting in multiple U.S. elections, something Dems say never happens.A Canadian man who lives in Massachusetts, is accused of voting in multiple U.S. elections, something Dems say never happens.Democratic DA under DOJ investigation for giving illegal aliens special treatment
The Justice Department is holding the feet of a weak-on-crime Democratic prosecutor to the fire over an apparently discriminatory policy that requires special treatment for criminal noncitizens when making charging and plea decisions.
Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano, elected to office in 2019 with the help of backing from a pair of George Soros-funded organizations, has developed a reputation for failing to bring illegally present suspects to justice, in at least one instance with deadly consequences.
'That's a perversion of justice.'
For instance, Descano's office dropped a felony charge last year against Wilmer Osmany Ramos Giron, an illegal alien from Guatemala who was accused of abducting and strangling the mother of his child.
Owing to a sweetheart plea deal agreed to by Descano's office, Ramos Giron — who was previously deported on multiple occasions and arrested repeatedly on gun-related charges — served only two months at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
The light-touch from Descano's office has also set the stage for tragedy.
Abdul Jalloh is an illegal alien from Sierra Leone who, according to the Department of Homeland Security, has been arrested over 30 times on 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.
After Descano's office dropped numerous cases against Jalloh — including two involving malicious wounding charges and another involving an assault and battery charge — the convicted felon allegedly stabbed to death an American citizen, 41-year-old Stephanie Minter of Fredericksburg, on Feb. 23.
RELATED: The homicidal empathy of the left’s immigration policies
The Victims Rights Reform Council said in a complaint filed last month on behalf of the victim's mother, Cheryl Minter, that police repeatedly warned Fairfax County prosecutors about Jalloh's behavior prior to the stabbing, noting that he demonstrated a "blatant disregard for human life" and was a "danger to the community," WJLA-TV reported.
A Fairfax County police major reportedly wrote to one of Descano's underlings, Fairfax County Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Jenna Sands:
I wanted to bring Mr. Jalloh’s release to your attention, because Mr. Jalloh is one of the repeat (and violent) offenders we discussed when we met. I wanted to get your background on why he is out so soon and ask if his prior suspended sentence (of I believe 5 years) was pursued by your office? Unfortunately, based on MTV Station’s numerous dealings with him, it is not a question of if, but rather when he will maliciously wound (or worse) again. My role of keeping the public safe, prompts me to follow up on his status.
Jalloh was convicted of a malicious stabbing in 2023. Although sentenced to seven years in prison, he had five years suspended.
In a letter on Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon notified Descano that she has authorized a full investigation to determine whether his office has "engaged in unlawful discrimination in violation of Title VI and the Safe Streets Act and whether [his office] is engaged in a pattern or practice of law enforcement misconduct that deprives persons of rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States."
Dhillon said the investigation centers on a policy requiring special treatment for illegal aliens that was authorized by Descano and adopted by his office in December 2020.
The controversial policy, titled "Guidelines for Plea Bargaining, Charging Decisions, and Sentencing," requires that assistant attorneys consider:
- "Immigration consequences where possible and where doing so accords with justice";
- "The collateral immigration consequences of the specific crime(s) the defendant is charged with"; and
- "The detrimental impact that deportation/removal has on the families and communities those removed or deported leave behind."
This policy was hardly a secret.
Descano vowed on a recently scrubbed page of his website not only to provide a "safe place for everyone, regardless of their immigration status," but to "take immigration consequences into account when making charging and plea decisions." He added, "If two people commit the same crime, but only one's punishment includes deportation, that's a perversion of justice and not a reflection of the values of Fairfax County."
While some Virginians — like Cheryl Minter — might prefer to see Descano prioritize throwing murderers, rapists, and other criminals in prison, the Democratic attorney noted that "avoiding the unnecessary destruction of [migrant] families and communities will be a top priority."
Descano — who believes "tough-on-crime policies are short-sighted" — confirmed his receipt of Dhillon's notice on Wednesday and stated, "My policies are fair, legal, and reflect the values of my community."
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Parents enraged over adult illegal alien allegedly molesting Virginia high school girls
Israel Flores-Ortiz, an illegal alien from El Salvador who stole into the U.S. in 2024 and was subsequently released by the Biden administration, is accused of molesting at least nine girls at Fairfax High School in Virginia where he was enrolled in the 11th grade, even though he is at least 18 years old.
Adding insult to injury, the school allegedly downplayed the scandal.
'They have attempted to sweep it under the rug.'
The alleged offenses took place as recently as Feb. 25. Flores-Ortiz was arrested on March 7 and has been charged with nine counts of assault and battery.
"There's a group of about 12 individuals that have reported this assault," a mother of one of the victims told WJLA-TV. "It was all perpetrated by a single individual who is a stranger to the girls. He just sneakily walked up behind them and put his hand in between their legs. It was not just a butt smack or a butt grab. It was a groping of a private area. It had been occurring for several months."
Two of the victims' mothers said that the school was doing a terrible job handling the situation.
"Abysmal, abysmal," said one of the mothers. "I think from the very beginning, Fairfax County has attempted to diminish what happened to these girls."
Fairfax High School principal Georgina Aye reportedly waited over two weeks after the incidents were reported to notify parents in an email, "We are writing to share the news of the recent arrest of a student who was charged with inappropriately touching other students at school. These incidents involved the student touching students’ buttocks while they were transitioning in the hallways."
Parents lashed out over Aye's claim that the alleged molestation was simply a matter of a "student touching students’ buttocks."
"Yeah, no, I would not be here for butt slapping," one mother told WJLA. "I would, I mean, I would be upset about that, but this wouldn't be my second day this week here at the courthouse for that. It was a clear violation. He put his hand in between my daughter's legs, and the butt was actually the last thing that he touched."
Another mother said, "The girls have experienced harassment and bullying from peers at school, including people that they once thought were their friends, and the letter that they sent out, referencing it only as buttocks touching, just adds fuel to rumors that they were just attention seeking."
"They have attempted to sweep it under the rug," said one mother.
The City of Fairfax School Board, which oversees Fairfax High School in partnership with the FCPS, said in a statement on Monday that it "takes the recent situation at Fairfax High School very seriously."
"We support the students who have been directly affected and encourage members of the Fairfax High School community to support one another during this difficult time. Inappropriate conduct has no place in our schools, and we understand the concern and distress this incident has caused for students and families," said the school board. "We also want to express our support for Principal Dr. Georgina Aye, a student-centered leader who has devoted her career to serving and supporting students. We have confidence in her leadership."
In addition to receiving what one victim's mother described as "a completely sanitized letter" from the school's purportedly "student-centered leader," parents were allegedly informed by Fairfax County Public Schools that upon his release, Flores-Ortiz would return to school.
FCPS told WJLA in a statement, "While Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is unable to comment on specifics due to federal and state privacy laws, we prioritize student and staff safety and we fully investigate any time someone shares that an incident has occurred at school, or that they do not feel safe at school."
FCPS did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.
ICE issued a detainer for Ortiz, the agency told WJLA, "to ensure this violent criminal is removed from our country so he can never claim another victim again."
Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid's (D) office told Blaze News in a statement:
Israel Flores Ortiz remains in the custody of the Sheriff’s Office in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center (ADC). While it is still too early in the process to know the outcome of his case, ICE has been notified of Ortiz’s location at the ADC, and they are able to execute their detainer by responding to the ADC and taking Ortiz into custody if and when he is ordered released.
The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office does not obstruct or prevent ICE from acting on their civil detainers.
Flores-Ortiz reportedly requested to be released on bail. Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano's (D) office told Blaze News that there was a bond hearing, but "after listening to arguments, the judge decided to hold him. He is being held."
Judge Dipti Pidikiti-Smith reportedly denied Ortiz's request on Friday after reviewing surveillance video of one of the incidents.
"This 19-year-old criminal illegal alien should NOT have been attending a Virginia high school and allowed to prey on innocent teenage girls. He now faces nine counts of assault and battery. This is yet another example of the Biden administration’s failed open border policies," DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.
"We are calling on Fairfax County sanctuary politicians to NOT release this predator from jail back into our communities to assault more teenage women," continued Bis. "Unfortunately, Governor Abigail Spanberger ended cooperation with ICE and is siding with criminal illegal aliens over American citizens."
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CBP leader arrested: Supervisor allegedly hid and supported illegal alien 'niece' for over a year
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was arrested and charged this week with allegedly harboring and transporting an illegal alien who prosecutors claim is his niece.
If convicted, Andres Wilkinson III — a CBP supervisory officer who has worked for the agency since May 2001 — faces up to a decade in prison and a potential $250,000 fine.
The CBP Office of Professional Responsibility received information from Homeland Security Investigations in April 2025 that Elva Edith Garcia-Vallejo, the daughter of a man whom Wilkinson listed as a brother in his 2023 background investigation, was allegedly living with the CBP officer at his residence in Laredo, Texas.
'Financially supported her by providing his credit cards, housing, and assistance with her financial obligations.'
Garcia-Vallejo's residency was problematic because she is a foreign national who lacks legal authorization to be in the homeland, which Wilkinson knew, federal prosecutors claimed.
According to the criminal complaint, Garcia-Vallejo entered the U.S. in August 2023 using her nonimmigrant visa number and secured a I-94 travel permit as a temporary visitor for pleasure/tourism to San Antonio — a permit that expired on Feb. 4, 2024.
North of the border, Garcia-Vallejo temporarily resided with her Laredo-based husband, Juan Rodriguez, who filed and then withdrew an immigration petition for her to become a legal resident.
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In May 2025 — eight months after Garcia-Vallejo's last known entry into the U.S. using her B1/B2 nonimmigrant visa number and two months after her travel permit expired — the CBP OPR allegedly spotted Garcia-Vallejo and her daughter meet with Wilkinson outside the Harmony School of Science in Laredo.
Investigators followed the mother — who had no pending immigration applications — and daughter back to their dwelling place. At the time, Garcia-Vallejo was driving a Toyota Rav4 registered to Wilkinson, the criminal complaint said.
Over the next several months, CBP OPR conducted surveillance at the residence and allegedly observed Garcia-Vallejo come and go. They also claimed to have spotted her driving another vehicle registered to Wilkinson.
Finally, on Feb. 5, CBP OPR detained Garcia-Vallejo, who allegedly admitted that she had been living with her "uncle" since at least August 2024; that he had "financially supported her by providing his credit cards, housing, and assistance with her financial obligations, including medical debt, and by adding her to his vehicle insurance," said the complaint.
The supposed niece also admitted to allegedly crossing U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints in a vehicle driven by Wilkinson on multiple occasions.
The criminal complaint refers to Wilkinson in one instance as his supposed niece's "boyfriend" and the DOJ noted in its corresponding release that the two were "romantically involved," but neither document offered supporting details for that characterization of their relationship. While the complaint indicates Garcia-Vallejo is the daughter of the officer's brother, it did not specify whether they are indeed blood relatives.
CBP did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News. Attorneys for Garcia-Vallejo and Wilkinson did not respond to a request for comment from the Guardian.
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Florida makes one thing absolutely clear after Obama judge orders teardown of Alligator Alcatraz
An Obama judge issued an injunction on Thursday ordering Florida not only to halt the arrival of new detainees to Alligator Alcatraz but to begin dismantling the facility.
The Sunshine State isn't rolling over, and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' office indicated that President Donald Trump's deportation campaign will continue as planned.
Quick background
After DeSantis tasked state leaders with identifying places for a new detention facility to temporarily house outbound criminal noncitizens, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier made a public pitch in favor of "Alligator Alcatraz" — "an old, virtually abandoned airport facility" in the Everglades that could serve as "the one-stop shop to carry out President Trump's mass deportation agenda."
Uthmeier got his way, confirming in June that the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport would indeed become home to America's first state-run facility for federal immigration detainees — a facility that the Department of Homeland Security told Blaze News would ultimately house up to 5,000 beds for illegal aliens in soft and hardened structures.
Within weeks, the airport's 10,499-foot runway was crowded with tents and unsavory characters set for deportation.
As with virtually all effective initiatives related to the detention and deportation of criminal noncitizens, Alligator Alcatraz's development was challenged by liberal activists.
RELATED: Florida sheriff: Feds are running out of space because we're arresting so many illegal aliens
One of the legal efforts to shut down the camp was launched on June 27 by two environmental groups, Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity.
According to the plaintiffs, Alligator Alcatraz was being operated in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires environmental review processes in cases of federal actions that significantly impact the environment — processes the environmentalists claim had not been undertaken.
Florida Division of Emergency Management Deputy Director Keith Pruett pointed out that the environmentalists' concerns were overblown and that the airport was already active, permanently lit — one of the environmentalists concern-mongered about possible light pollution — and home to existing buildings.
The lawsuit further alleged that Florida's involvement in the project through the Florida Division of Emergency Management exceeded the agency's authority and that Miami-Dade County unlawfully permitted the use of the airport as a detention facility.
Obama judge weighs in
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams made clear in her 82-page order on Thursday that she was persuaded neither by the Trump administration's argument that "the significant national interest in combating unlawful immigration favors allowing Florida to continue the development and use of [the detention camp]" nor by Florida's assertion that the facility was necessary because other facilities are at capacity.
Williams, an Obama appointee, suggested that the perceived need for Alligator Alcatraz "fails to explicate the decision to place the detention camp in the Everglades."
'We're going to continue to do what we need to do to help the Trump administration remove illegal aliens from our country.'
Having ordered a temporary pause weeks earlier, Williams formally barred both the Trump administration and state officials from installing any additional lighting at the facility; undertaking any expansion efforts, including erecting additional tents or buildings; and bringing any new detainees to the site.
Her order allows, however, for modification or repairs to existing facilities if executed for the sole purpose of "increasing safety or mitigating environmental or other risks at the site."
The Obama judge further ordered Florida and the Trump administration to dismantle the temporary fencing, lighting fixtures, generators, and waste receptacles installed to support the project within 60 days.
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"Every Florida governor, every Florida senator, and countless local and national political figures, including presidents, have publicly pledged their unequivocal support for the restoration, conservation, and protection of the Everglades," wrote Williams. "This Order does nothing more than uphold the basic requirements of legislation designed to fulfill those promises."
Friends of the Everglades celebrated the ruling.
Eve Samples, executive director of the group, stated, "This decision sends a clear message that environmental laws must be respected by leaders at the highest levels of our government — and there are consequences for ignoring them."
Florida fights back
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Blaze News, "This ruling from an activist judge ignores the fact that this land has already been developed for a decade. It is another attempt to prevent the president from fulfilling the American people’s mandate to remove the worst of the worst, including gang members, murderers, pedophiles, terrorists, and rapists, from our country."
"This activist judge doesn’t care about the invasion of our country facilitated by the Biden administration, but the American people do," continued McLaughlin. "We have the law, the facts, and common sense on our side.”
Florida has appealed the order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
DeSantis told Fox News he knew the "fix was in" and that Williams "was not giving us a fair shake."
"We totally expected an adverse ruling," said DeSantis. "And we also knew we were going to immediately appeal and get that decision stayed. So we will ultimately be successful in this. It's not going to stop our resolve. We're going to continue to do what we need to do to help the Trump administration remove illegal aliens from our country. You know, that's the mandate that they have. So we anticipated this, but I don't think it's going to be insurmountable in the end."
Blaze News has reached out to DeSantis' office for further comment.
While the fate of Alligator Alcatraz is up in the air, DeSantis' office made clear that there's no slowing down the deportation train.
Alex Lanfranconi, DeSantis' communications director, noted, "The deportations will continue until morale improves."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!'Caught red-handed': New York Gov. Hochul tries to quietly spare killer criminal noncitizen from deportation
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has long used her pardon powers to spare criminal noncitizens from deportation.
For instance, in December 2022, Hochul pardoned nine foreign nationals who engaged in criminal activity after migrating to the United States — crimes including drug dealing, theft, robbery witness tampering, and drug possession.
"Clemency is a powerful tool that can be exercised to advance the interests of justice and fairness and to recognize efforts made by individuals to improve not only their own lives but the lives of those around them," the Democratic governor said at the time.
Vatthanavong 'would be on a deportation flight to Laos' were it not for Hochul's intervention.
The Democrat governor has issued yet another slew of pardons, but this she time did so without any fanfare and announced them only after the New York Times reported on the decision — likely because she was helping a killer avoid deportation.
Sammy Vatthanavong, 52, reportedly entered the U.S. as a refugee from Laos with his family around the age of 7. He was convicted of first-degree manslaughter in 1990 after gunning down an unarmed man two years earlier during a confrontation in a Brooklyn pool hall.
According to AsAmNews, Vatthanavong — who claimed he acted in self-defense — was sentenced to 14 years in prison and stripped of his green card.
Mekong NYC — a Southeast Asian-focused liberal organization in New York City that is committed to "creating a strong safety net rooted in community power" — and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund waged a months-long pressure campaign to get Hochul to pardon Vatthanavong.
Mekong NYC claimed the governor "has a moral responsibility to take every step possible to protect our immigrant communities" and accused the Trump administration of "heinous" attacks on immigrants.
Both groups stressed the urgency of the pardon, suggesting that without it, his deportation was all but guaranteed.
Hochul granted the killer an unconditional pardon on July 1, one day ahead of his mandatory immigration appointment, where Mekong NYC suggested he stood a risk of arrest.
Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin confirmed to the New York Times that Vatthanavong "would be on a deportation flight to Laos" were it not for Hochul's intervention.
"If you are a convicted criminal alien, you should not have the privilege to be in this country," added McLaughlin.
'I’ll be damned if I let them be deported to a country where they don’t know a soul.'
Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) noted that Hochul tried to get the pardon through without New Yorkers finding out.
"Kathy Hochul was caught red-handed for secretly pardoning a violent illegal felon," Stefanik said in a statement. "Her dangerous secret pardon of this violent criminal illegal who should have been deported 35 years ago after his conviction is just another example of her putting criminals and illegals first instead of law-abiding New Yorkers."
"What is most shameful is the Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul issued this heinous pardon in secret, hoping New Yorkers wouldn’t find out," added Stefanik.
Hochul suggested that the criminal noncitizen who fatally wounded an unarmed man should remain in the country because he supposedly poses no threat.
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"Unless I believe someone poses a danger, I follow what the Bible tells us: 'Forgive one another as God in Christ forgave you,'" Hochul said in a statement to the New York Times. "They’ve paid their debt, and I’ll be damned if I let them be deported to a country where they don’t know a soul."
"Without the community that rallied behind me, I would have been on that deportation flight to Southeast Asia today with over 100 others," Vatthanavong said in a statement obtained by AsAmNews. "This pardon from Governor Hochul feels like being reborn. Everyone deserves a second chance, and my story is proof that when our communities fight together, we can protect each other."
Blaze News has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security about whether Vatthanavong can still be arrested and then deported.
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Noncitizen charged with rape became California cop despite domestic violence arrest, thanks to Gavin Newsom: Report
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom (Calif.) ratified legislation in September 2022 scrapping the requirement that police, highway patrol, and corrections officers in California have to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
Felipe Gomes, one of the foreign nationals who took full advantage of Newsom's law, was arrested last week on suspicion of rape, reported the Palo Alto Daily Post.
Redwood City Police arrested Gomes at the Belmont Police Department headquarters on April 22, according to RCPD Sgt. Victor Figueroa. Gomes was reportedly charged under penal code 261 (a) (1), which concerns knowingly having sexual intercourse with an individual incapable of giving consent because of a mental disorder or developmental or physical disability.
The Brazilian national was booked into the San Mateo County Office Main Jail then later released on a $100,000 bail bond.
Belmont Police Lt. Pete Lotti indicated that Gomes was terminated the following day.
The foreign national took his oath of office on Dec. 10 during a Belmont City Council ceremony. When introducing his new recruits, Belmont Police Chief Ken Stenquist noted, "He was in the Brazilian Air Force and part of their air force police. He was a full-time police soldier and left that position when he moved to the United States. He enjoys practicing jiu jitsu and attending church when he's not working."
According to KGO-TV, prior to hiring Gomes, Chief Stenquist received warnings from the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office and the East Palo Alto Police Department that they had both rejected the Brazilian national on account of his 2017 domestic violence arrest.
'You don't want someone who in a family setting, you know, violence is a place they can escalate to.'
The charging affidavit reviewed by KGO alleged that one year into his marriage, Gomes — who is not an American citizen but apparently has a U.S. work permit — brutally beat his wife, striking her repeatedly in the face and stomach. Gomes had allegedly done so after seeing text messages on his wife's phone from her ex-boyfriend.
An officer reported at the time seeing a "large bruise that covered most of (his wife's) left cheek and scratches to her right cheek."
The state attorney reportedly factored in Gomes' claims that his wife hit and scratched him first, charged both husband and wife with battery/domestic violence, and ultimately dropped the charges.
Chief Stenquist told KGO's Dan Noyes, "Past law enforcement contact that does not result in charges are not disqualifying in of itself under policies or applicable law."
Former San Francisco Police Department commander and head of recruitment Rich Corriea noted that in such circumstances, the charges are often dropped, and that the incident should still be disqualifying.
"You don't want someone who in a family setting, you know, violence is a place they can escalate to," Corriea told KGO. "You want just the opposite. You want natural de-escalators."
In addition to casting doubt about whether Stenquist made the right call to hire Gomes, Corriea suggested that the recruitment of foreign nationals is a risky business as American-style justice and civil rights may be alien to them.
"You better make sure that you ... are hiring people that get the many nuances of the role of a police officer," said Corriea. "There's no one else, as far as I know, in our entire society that carries a gun and has the authority to shoot you under certain circumstances."
The Brazilian national will reportedly return to the San Mateo County Superior Court for an arraignment on May 21.
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Illegal aliens may soon get 'expedited' pardons and commutations in Washington state, perhaps leapfrogging US citizens
Illegal aliens with criminal convictions in Washington state may soon get an "expedited review" of their application for a pardon or commutation from the governor, thanks to a bill passed exclusively by Democrats.
In the last few weeks, both the Washington state House and Senate have passed H.B. 1131, making it ready to send along to the desk of Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson. While the bill addresses a number of issues related to pardons and clemency, it specifically sends those at risk of deportation to the head of the case review line.
"If a petitioner indicates in the petition an urgent need for the pardon or commutation including, but not limited to, a pending deportation order or deportation proceeding, the board shall consider expedited review of the application," it reads.
The bill sailed through the House, 50-46, with no Republicans voting for it and only seven Democrats voting against it. Democrats also carried the bill through the Senate, with 28 voting for it and 19 Republicans opposing it.
'If they’ve paid their dues to society, they shouldn’t be deported.'
The bill is particularly outrageous because it gives illegal aliens and other noncitizens who committed crimes in the U.S. better access to the Washington Clemency and Pardons Board, which has limited availability. As it currently stands, the board is composed of five unpaid members who are able to undertake only about 30 cases per year, according to the Washington State Standard.
Under this bill, incarcerated U.S. citizens seeking a pardon or commutation would apparently have to take a back seat.
"I don’t think what our forefathers envisioned was moving one group above the other when it comes to justice," said state Sen. Leonard Christian (R-Spokane Valley). "Everybody in this state, in this country, deserves equal justice in the same amount of time."
Republican state Rep. Jim Walsh, the chair of the Washington GOP, claimed in a statement to the Post Millennial that H.B. 1131 goes so far as to treat "criminals as if they were victims," an upending of justice that has since become a "recent fashion in 'progressive' circles."
Statements from liberals about H.B. 1131 seem to bear him out.
"If they’ve paid their dues to society, they shouldn’t be deported," claimed state Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D-Seattle), who proposed a similar measure in the Senate.
Jennie Pasquarella, legal director of Seattle Clemency Project, noted that all immigration cases, especially those related to deportation, are "very time-sensitive" and implied that noncitizens are therefore more deserving of expedited consideration.
"They can’t wait two years for a hearing," she claimed. "They need, they need the relief right away."
H.B. 1131 'undermines public safety in Washington' and 'puts law-abiding people at risk.'
Pasquarella then made the wild suggestion that noncitizens often commit victimless crimes that aren't that "serious."
"There’s a lot of crimes now that make [deportation] mandatory where there is no victim involved — most people would not consider to be serious — but yet they impose this really drastic consequence," she said.
The Standard indicated that such crimes relate to "drug, theft, and burglary" — "felonies" that the outlet nonetheless characterized as "nonviolent." Approximately 87,000 Americans died of a drug overdose between October 2023 and September 2024.
Of note, between 90% and 95% of criminal cases in the U.S. are resolved via plea bargaining, which often involves defendants pleading guilty to lesser charges. In other words, the offenders may be responsible for other, more severe crimes that at least indirectly involve victims, but prosecutors permit them to accept responsibility for lesser crimes to secure a conviction.
State Rep. Walsh understands the problem well, insisting that H.B. 1131 "undermines public safety in Washington" and "puts law-abiding people at risk."
H.B. 1131 would also expand the review board to 10 members who would be compensated at least for travel expenses related to their board activities.
Blaze News reached out to Gov. Ferguson, inquiring whether he intends to sign the bill, but did not receive a response.
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Senators, Don’t Fall For Hillary Clinton’s Desperate Lies About The SAVE Act
The left is peddling the myth that the SAVE Act will disenfranchise married women from voting. Nothing could be further from the truth.Wisconsin Poll Watcher Warns That Observers Are Being Taught To Be ‘Delicate’ On Election Integrity Issues
“This is the first time I had not heard, ‘Don’t be afraid to assert your rights...,'" a source said about GOP attorney observer training.Today's top stories
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