The day after Stephanie Minter’s family held a vigil in Richmond, Virginia, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) was asked what she had to say to the Fairfax County mother’s family. She smiled, blamed ICE, and walked away on camera.
WJLA’s Nick Minock caught up with Spanberger after a Richmond vigil where Minter’s family and state officials pointed to prior arrests, written warnings, and repeated releases before the killing.
🚨New: I asked Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger what her message is to Stephanie Minter’s family and children who have been harmed by illegal immigrants.
— Nick Minock (@NickMinock) March 25, 2026
Minter is a Virginia mother who was murdered in Fairfax County. Her accused killer is illegal immigrant Abdul Jalloh.
In a… pic.twitter.com/bjMbP3fPoh
“What is your message to Stephanie Minter’s family and children who have been harmed by illegal immigrants, governor?”
“My question would be why when there was a detention deportation order, ICE did not deport him?”
Spanberger delivered that answer, turned, and got into her vehicle without taking follow-up questions while Minock was still standing there with his microphone raised.
At the Richmond vigil, Minter’s family and state officials argued that Stephanie Minter’s killing followed a chain of warnings, arrests, and releases.
“These vicious criminals are repeatedly put back on the streets again and again,” Cheryl Minter said.
“I had her for 41 years and I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.”
Authorities have charged 32-year-old Abdul Jalloh with second-degree murder after Minter was stabbed at a Fairfax County bus stop. His record, which includes years of prior charges and repeated contact with law enforcement, is now central to questions about why he was still on the street. Jalloh had been in the United States illegally since 2012 and racked up a long list of charges, including violent offenses that repeatedly brought him back into the system.
Read More: How to Get Away With Murder in Virginia
WATCH: GOP Delegate Torches VA Dems for Putting Violent Illegals on the Streets – 'Gaslight Much?'
Fairfax County police warned prosecutors about Jalloh before the killing, putting concerns in writing months earlier that he posed an ongoing threat if released.
“It is not a question of if, but rather when he will maliciously wound (or worse) again,” a police major wrote in a warning sent to prosecutors roughly 100 days before the killing.
Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said those decisions reflected policies that put violent offenders ahead of public safety.
“Her first goal in office was not to protect Virginia citizens,” Miyares said.
“It was to protect convicted felons sitting in Virginia prisons, and not to notify federal immigration authorities of where they were.”
Miyares warned that legislation on Spanberger’s desk would extend that approach statewide.
“She wants to take away that discretion so the Sheriff of Bedford or the Sheriff of Galax or Grayson or Washington County have to adopt the same criminal-first, victim-last mindset.”
ICE had previously taken Jalloh into custody in 2018 and held him for nearly two years before a judge ruled he could not be deported to Sierra Leone or a third country, a decision that forced his release under federal law.
“ICE arrested Abdul Jalloh on November 27, 2018… He was in custody for 702 days, until ICE was forced to release him,” a DHS spokesperson said.
“ICE can only detain illegals for the purpose of removal… there was no possibility for this criminal to be removed or further detained.”
Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano remains at the center of the fallout because his office dropped charges against Jalloh multiple times before the killing, with prior reporting noting he had been released at least 30 times while cycling through the system.
In his floor speech, Republican Del. Tom Garrett pointed to the warning letter, the repeat releases, and recent votes by northern Virginia Democrats to further limit cooperation with ICE, tying those decisions to Minter’s death.
“You had the warnings. You had the charges. And you still let him back out,” Garrett said.
State Republicans condemned Spanberger's "flippant" response.
Such a flippant and angry response from the Governor. And then running off in a huff instead of answering questions. It looks like she literately couldn’t care less about a dead Virginian or how her sanctuary policy makes all of us less safe. https://t.co/JcaVCquIWU
— Glen Sturtevant (@GlenSturtevant) March 25, 2026
By the time Minock caught up with Spanberger, the warning letter was already public, the 702-day ICE timeline was already public, and Minter’s mother had already stood in Richmond and said these criminals are put back on the street again and again. When the question reached the governor on camera, she turned and left the rest unanswered. Which speaks volumes.
Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law and order agenda.
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