Sen. Tim Kaine Says Undocumented Suspect in Virginia Killing Must Be Prosecuted Before Any Deportation

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is urging prosecutors to fully try, convict and punish 32-year-old Sierra Leone native Abdul Jalloh in the killing of Virginia mother Stephanie Minter before considering deportation, warning that removing him now could let him "escape accountability" for murder. Jalloh is charged with second-degree murder after Minter was found dead at a Fairfax bus stop last month, and the Department of Homeland Security says he has been arrested more than 30 times previously on allegations including rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft and trespassing. Local authorities had repeatedly dropped prior charges, allowing Jalloh to remain free, and Kaine—who once served as Virginia governor—suggested that in his experience ICE sometimes failed to pick up offenders even when the state gave advance notice of their release. The case is already fueling partisan fights online over "sanctuary" practices and ICE detainers, with Kaine breaking from some Democrats by emphasizing that deportation alone can function as leniency if it substitutes for serious criminal punishment. DHS has been asked to explain what, if any, prior detainer or custody requests were made in Jalloh’s earlier cases, as critics demand answers on how a man with this record stayed on the streets until Minter’s death.