Fairfax County, Va. – Israel Flores-Ortiz, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was deported this week after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrested him in the county’s sanctuary jurisdiction. Flores-Ortiz had previously been convicted of assaulting the private parts of nine high‑school girls and served only about nine months of an abbreviated jail sentence.
Federal action follows local controversy
The case adds to a string of immigration‑related disputes in the Democrat‑led county, where sanctuary policies have clashed with the Trump administration’s “heavy‑handed” approach to removing illegal aliens who threaten public safety. An ICE spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “This groper is gone,” and emphasized that under President Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mullin, “criminal illegal aliens are not welcome, especially those who harm our American communities.”
Flores‑Ortiz was initially released into the community during the previous administration and enrolled as a junior at Fairfax High School, according to ABC’s Washington affiliate. Despite a pending immigration judge order to remove him, he remained in the United States until DHS agents took him into custody on Aug. 31 and deported him on Wednesday.
Local officials’ roles and reactions
Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano clarified that the sheriff’s office, not the commonwealth’s attorney, handled Flores‑Ortiz’s custody and transfer. The sheriff’s office released him to ICE under a Virginia law permitting transfer up to five days before a scheduled release.
Virginia’s Virginians for Safe Communities leader Sean Kennedy called the deportation “heartening,” noting that former Sheriff Kincaid had refused 615 detainer requests over a 16‑month period, turning over only 11 individuals to federal authorities. Descano and Kincaid were previously questioned by congressional lawmakers about their limited cooperation with ICE.
Impact on the community
A parent of one of the victims told ABC’s Washington affiliate that about 12 students reported encounters with Flores‑Ortiz, describing his conduct as “sneakily walking up behind them and putting his hand in between their legs,” a repeated pattern over several months.
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid earlier wrote to parents that such behavior is “unacceptable” and that the district hired outside counsel to conduct a comprehensive review of the matter.
The deportation underscores the Trump administration’s renewed focus on immigration enforcement, particularly in areas where local policies have historically limited cooperation with federal authorities.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
