DOJ opens investigation into Fairfax County prosecutor

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. – The Justice Department has launched a formal investigation into Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano over policies in his office involving criminal cases tied to non‑citizens.

The inquiry follows a request earlier this spring from the mother of a woman killed at a bus stop along Route 1. She asked federal officials to investigate, claiming the prosecutor’s office is too lenient with undocumented immigrants.

On Feb. 23, 41‑year‑old Stephanie Minter was fatally stabbed. Authorities say the suspect, Abdul Jalloh, a homeless undocumented immigrant, has a violent history that includes rape, malicious wounding, theft and assault charges.

READ MORE: Suspect charged with murder after stabbing woman to death at Fairfax County bus stop, officials say

FAIRFAX, VA -JUNE 08: Fairfax prosecutor Steve Descano photographed in Fairfax, Virginia on June 08, 2023. The rise of teenagers using ghost guns. (Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Federal officials are now examining whether the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office engaged in unlawful discrimination by offering preferential treatment to undocumented immigrants in criminal cases.

“My policies are fair, legal, and reflect the values of my community,” Descano said in a statement to FOX Digital.

The department is examining whether Descano’s office violated federal law by weighing “immigration consequences” in charging decisions and plea deals, which could amount to unequal treatment of defendants, DOJ Civil Rights Division head Harmeet Dhillon said in a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital. 

In the Minter case, Descano has said many of Jalloh’s past charges were dropped because victims did not testify.

Descano is scheduled to testify next week before a House Judiciary subcommittee.