Fight for the rights of immigrants continues in Northern Virginia

Screen Capture of cellphone video from April 22 shows immigration agents detaining a man who had just had misdemeanor assault charges dismissed in Virginia. | AP

ARLINGTON, Va.—On March 3, residents in Arlington County got a first-hand glimpse of what Trump’s ‘immigration crackdown’ would look like in Northern Virginia. As reported by NBC4 Washington, an unidentified man had been detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and taken away. Video of the arrest was sent to NBC4, which reported that the local migrant community said they were in fear of future ICE raids. This incident occurred only days after Governor Glen Youngkin signed an executive order allowing police to cooperate with ICE in detaining immigrants.

While ICE and its fervent supporters classify most immigrants as “illegal aliens” and “dangerous criminals,” these raids have not occurred unopposed. The immigration organization CASA issued a formal rebuke of the raids, stating that:

“While the government argues [that ICE] are focused on specific targets, this is really just whitewashing their goal of eradicating immigrant communities from Virginia and beyond.”

Rallies were held in places like Arlington County, showing solidarity with immigrant communities. One participant told Fox 5 that despite what ICE and the Trump administration say, the people being targeted were not criminals. “Not only does the data show that the people that are getting detained have no criminal record, but more than that, these people are our neighbors, these people have families,” the participant asserted.

Immigrant rights organizations such as the aforementioned CASA and LAJC (Legal Aid Justice Center) have been handing out bilingual (both in English and Spanish) cards to immigrants, informing them of their constitutional rights, should ICE come knocking on their door. The cards advise them not to open the door and instead to show the ICE agents the card. These organizations also offer legal advice to immigrants in need. On March 16, “Immigration activists spent their Saturday morning at the Arlington County Courthouse, speaking out against a policy that allows local police to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” wrote ABC7.

None of this, however, has stopped the Loudon County Sheriff’s office from entering into what NBC4 Washington has called a “special agreement” with ICE.

According to NBC4, “In the last six months of 2024, there were ICE detainers on 245 Loudon County inmates, but ICE only picked up 99 of them. This year, there have been 80 detainers with 42 picked up.” With this new agreement, however, ICE would not only get 48 hours to pick up a detainer, but also some deputies would receive “special training” as “warrant service officers.” This allows the deputy to act as an ICE agent without being an ICE agent until the actual ICE agent comes to pick up the detainer.

Yet, it would seem that in the wake of Kilmer Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador and the subsequent backlash to it, politicians and lawmakers are now stepping back from the idea of a massive crackdown on immigration.

On the afternoon of May 13, Arlington County Board members approved a plan that would, in essence, distance local law enforcement from ICE. More specifically, it removed instances where local law enforcement could notify ICE of an arrest. This ruling came after several years of work by immigrant advocacy organizations in Arlington and Northern Virginia more broadly.

As more people and organizations push back against the ICE raids, it would appear that the tide is slowly turning in the fight.

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CONTRIBUTOR

Elijah Crawford

Elijah Crawford writes from Northern Virginia.