ICE lodges detainer against Salvadoran national charged with strangling infant in Virginia
DHS says the case highlights an immigration history that includes a 2016 entry and a 2024 case dismissal; infant remains in critical condition.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged an immigration detainer against Alvaro Mejia-Ayala, a 21-year-old Salvadoran national, after police say he strangled his infant sister with a charging cord in Leesburg, Virginia. The infant is reported to be in critical condition, according to federal authorities.
Leesburg police were dispatched Sept. 17 to reports of an infant not breathing. Investigators said the baby had been assaulted, and Ayala fled the scene on foot before authorities tracked him down with the help of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. He is now in custody and faces a charge of strangulation, with DHS noting the child’s serious condition.
DHS said Ayala entered the United States as part of a family-unit from El Salvador in 2016. The agency asserts that on Oct. 17, 2024, the Biden administration dismissed Ayala’s immigration case, allowing him to remain in the country illegally. DHS also said Ayala had a prior arrest in 2024 for reckless driving, but he was released before an immigration detainer could be lodged. Virginia’s General District Court online records show a February 2024 guilty plea to a misdemeanor reckless driving charge, along with listed prior citations for driving without a license in 2023 and plate-related violations in 2024 and 2025.
"ICE lodged an immigration detainer to ensure this heinous criminal is not released on U.S. streets," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. In remarks shared by the department, McLaughlin added, "What kind of sick monster strangles a defenseless, innocent baby girl with a charging cord? This barbarism has no place in the U.S." DHS also posted on X calling Ayala a "monster" and describing the case as an example of "PURE EVIL." A separate post quoted the same theme, tying the case to a broader stance on illegal immigration.
A spokesperson for the Biden administration declined to comment. Fox News Digital also contacted former President Barack Obama’s spokespeople but had not received a response by publication. The case remains under investigation as authorities pursue further charges and review Ayala’s immigration history in light of the detainer.
The episode underscores ongoing political and policy debates around immigration enforcement, detainers, and how prior immigration actions influence current custody decisions. In a political environment where immigration policy is a frequent point of contention, officials say detainers are one tool used to prevent potentially dangerous noncitizens from being released into communities while removal proceedings proceed.
