The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a statement on Apr. 10 following the conviction of Israel Christopher Flores-Ortiz, an 18-year-old from El Salvador, for nine counts of assault and battery while attending Fairfax High School.
According to DHS, Flores-Ortiz entered the United States illegally in 2024 and was released into the country under current federal policies. He was later convicted for multiple assaults at a Virginia high school. The department said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged an arrest detainer requesting that state officials not release him from jail.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said, “This 18-year-old criminal illegal alien should NOT have been attending a Virginia high school and allowed to prey on innocent teenage girls. Following his criminal convictions for nine counts of assault and battery, we are once again calling on Governor Spanberger and her fellow sanctuary politicians to NOT RELEASE this sexual predator from jail back into our communities to victimize more innocent women.” Bis also said, “This is yet another example of the Biden Administration’s failed open border policies.”
The DHS statement criticized Virginia's policy changes regarding cooperation with ICE. It said that ending cooperation has resulted in criminals being released back into communities. The department added that when local law enforcement cannot work with DHS, officers must increase their presence to apprehend individuals who have been let out of jail.
Flores-Ortiz is scheduled to be sentenced on April 21. DHS encouraged victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens to contact the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office for support.
