House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan sent formal subpoenas this week to two district attorneys. He targets Steve Descano in Fairfax County, Virginia, and Michael Dougherty in Boulder, Colorado. The move comes after these officials failed to provide requested documents about their handling of criminal cases involving illegal immigrants. Jordan wrote in letters obtained by Fox News that the committee is serving compulsory process due to non-compliance.
Jordan accuses both offices of giving preferential treatment to foreign national criminals. He claims this leniency endangers local communities. The letters state that criminal aliens escape accountability because of these specific office policies. Jordan's committee has investigated these practices for weeks. They are looking at how prosecutors weigh immigration status when pursuing charges for other crimes.
Descano's office drew attention after the stabbing death of Stephanie Minter, a 41-year-old U.S. citizen. In 2012, the alleged murderer entered the U.S. illegally from Sierra Leone. The Department of Homeland Security reported the man had been arrested more than 30 times before the killing. Descano issued plea bargaining guidance in January 2020. This guidance told prosecutors to "consider immigration consequences where possible" and to look at "the collateral immigration consequences of the specific crime(s) the defendant is charged with," according to reports.
Descano's office responded to the subpoena by calling it a partisan siege. "We are disappointed by the Committee's needless escalation of this matter, part of a partisan siege on Fairfax County residents and their values that does nothing to improve public safety," they told Fox News Digital. The office added they have provided over 1,100 pages of documents and voluntarily testified. They assert their focus remains on maintaining Fairfax County as one of the nation's safest large communities.
Michael Dougherty recently lost his Democratic primary campaign to be attorney general of the state of Colorado. The New York Post reports he told the Boulder Reporting Lab in May that Jordan's probe was part of a broader political effort. Dougherty's office in Boulder has long held policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration officials. After President Donald Trump won election, the city of Boulder enacted an ordinance in January 2017 prohibiting government employees from collaborating with federal immigration authorities or their agents.
Jordan stated that the lack of documents forced his hand. The committee argues that this silence prevents them from understanding how local laws are being applied to protect criminal aliens. The subpoenas now require these offices to produce all relevant communications and files. Failure to comply could lead to contempt of Congress charges.