Jim Jordan Intensifies Crackdown on Sanctuary Jurisdictions
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, is ramping up his efforts against sanctuary jurisdictions throughout the United States.
Jordan has initiated subpoenas directed at district attorneys in Boulder, Colorado, and Fairfax, Virginia, alleging that both have shown “preferential treatment” toward “criminal aliens” when deciding on prosecutorial actions.
In separate letters sent to Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano and Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty, which were acquired by Fox News Digital, Jordan noted, “Despite repeated requests for responsive documents and communications, you have not produced a single document. Accordingly, because you have failed to comply with the Committee’s requests, the Committee is serving compulsory process.”
“Your office’s lenient treatment of foreign national criminals endangers communities and ensures that criminal aliens escape both criminal and immigration accountability for their actions,” he added.
Jordan’s committee has been investigating prosecutors over several weeks, scrutinizing those accused of considering immigration status when handling criminal cases, even if the alleged crime is unrelated to the suspect’s legal standing.
Descano has recently faced criticism following the stabbing death of Stephanie Minter, a 41-year-old U.S. citizen. Her alleged killer had entered the U.S. illegally from Sierra Leone in 2012 and reportedly had over 30 arrests prior to Minter’s death, as pointed out by the Department of Homeland Security.
Since taking the helm of the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office in January 2020, Descano has advised that immigration consequences should be a factor in plea bargaining. He stated that prosecutors should “consider immigration consequences where possible” and consider “the collateral immigration consequences of the specific crime(s) the defendant is charged with,” according to a local news outlet.
Dougherty, on the other hand, has recently experienced a setback, losing his Democratic primary bid to become Colorado’s attorney general. He characterized Jordan’s investigation as “political theater” that overlooks significant issues within the federal immigration framework.
Boulder has been designated as a sanctuary jurisdiction since it passed an ordinance in January 2017, aimed at not allowing government employees to collaborate with federal immigration authorities or inquire about a person’s immigration status.
Both Boulder and Fairfax counties are recognized as sanctuary jurisdictions, meaning local law enforcement agencies are not required to assist federal immigration authorities.
Jordan’s inquiry is being conducted alongside Rep. Tom McClintock from California, who oversees the Judiciary panel’s subcommittee on immigration enforcement. Previously, Jordan stated he wouldn’t discard the option of issuing subpoenas if the district attorneys failed to fulfill the Republicans’ requests for information.
He explained, “There’s a process we always go through. We ask for things, we ask again, we explain why, we work with their office — in some cases their counsel — and back and forth. And then if we have to use subpoenas, we certainly will do that … but we want to know the facts.”
