Virginia sanctuary policy slammed over criminal illegal immigrants
Virginia’s sanctuary policy is facing intense scrutiny following a troubling incident involving Israel Flores Ortiz, an undocumented immigrant who entered the United States in 2024. Ortiz is now facing nine charges of assault and battery for allegedly groping students at Fairfax High School. This case has sparked a heated debate, particularly targeting Governor Abigail Spanberger, who has been criticized for reversing an executive order that previously allowed local law enforcement to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Concerns regarding community safety and the broader immigration policies under the Biden administration are being raised as a result of this controversy.
In a related development, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expressed strong disapproval of a plea deal offered by Fairfax County prosecutors to two undocumented immigrants involved in a heinous crime. Maldin Anibal Guzman-Videz and Luis Alonzo Sort-Portillo, both illegally residing in the U.S., confessed to the brutal murder of a man in Oakton, Virginia, in July 2024. The victim was found in a wooded area by a local resident, leading to a police investigation.
The plea agreement, which DHS has labeled as “insane,” would see the two men serve only five years in prison despite the gravity of their crime. This has raised concerns about the possibility of these individuals being released back into the community. The DHS’s frustration stems from what it perceives as a lenient sentence for such a serious offense, referring to the individuals as “two monsters.”
A booking photo of Maldin Anibal Guzman-Videz was released as part of the DHS’s statement criticizing the Fairfax County District Attorney’s Office for its handling of the case. Both Guzman-Videz and Sort-Portillo had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder by mob, and their sentencing involves a 25-year term, with 20 years suspended, resulting in just five years of actual time to be served. The plea agreements have been accepted by a judge, according to information obtained by Fox News.
Maldin Anibal Guzman-Videz in a booking photo. The Department of Homeland Security condemned the Fairfax County District Attorney’s Office for offering Guzman-Videz and Luis Alonzo Sort-Portillo a plea deal in the stabbing death of a man in 2024. (Department of Homeland Security)
The two men pleaded guilty to second-degree murder by mob and were sentenced to 25 years, with 20 years suspended, leaving five years to serve, Fox News has learned. A judge accepted the plea agreements.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said this is a “sweetheart plea deal” with murders.
“This 5-year sweetheart plea deal for murder is insane,” Bis said. “This is yet another example of Fairfax sanctuary politicians siding with criminal illegal aliens over U.S. citizens.”
Federal immigration authorities say they have repeatedly asked Fairfax officials not to release Guzman-Videz from custody in the past, but those requests were ignored.
ICE has requested that both men not be released back into the community, as DHS calls on Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and local leaders to ensure they remain behind bars. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
According to DHS, Guzman-Videz, a Honduran national, was issued a final order of removal in 2019 but remained in the United States. He later accumulated multiple arrests, including for assault, malicious wounding, larceny, obstruction of justice, and failure to appear.
According to the Fairfax County Times, he also allegedly robbed a restaurant and allegedly attacked someone with a knife.
Luis Alonzo Sort-Portillo in a booking photo. (Department of Homeland Security)
Sort-Portillo, the second suspect, is a Salvadoran national who entered the U.S. illegally at an unknown time, according to DHS.
ICE has now requested that both men not be released back into the community, as DHS calls on Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and local leaders to ensure they remain behind bars.
“We are calling on Fairfax County sanctuary politicians and Gov. Spanberger to commit to not releasing these murderers from jail back into our communities,” Bis said. “How many more times must they release criminals into our neighborhoods to create more innocent victims?”
DHS also criticized Fairfax County’s broader approach to immigration enforcement, claiming the county’s sanctuary policies have contributed to an increase in violent crime.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger responds to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union. (Steve Helber/Reuters)
The agency said illegal immigrants have been responsible for 75% of murders in the county so far in 2026, though that figure has not been independently verified.
The department pointed to several recent cases involving illegal immigrants accused of violent crimes, including the killing of a 3-month-old child, a fatal stabbing inside a home, and the murder of a mother at a Virginia bus stop. ICE says it has lodged detainers in each case.
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