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Arlington schools, churches, nonprofits and legal advocates are mobilizing to support immigrant families unsettled by the Trump administration’s sweeping new immigration policies.
President Donald Trump issued several immigration-related executive orders immediately after taking office Jan. 20. Expedited removal authority took effect the following day, while measures involving detention, public benefits and asylum procedures were expected to unfold over time.
An order seeking to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented or temporarily present parents was challenged as unconstitutional and temporarily blocked by a judge.
The breadth and complexity of the changes have left many immigrants uncertain about their rights and futures. Even some citizens and other people with legal status fear detention without due process. Others awaiting immigration paperwork do not know how the new rules affect their cases, while some people already approved to enter the country have had travel plans canceled.
The issue has particular weight in Arlington. According to 2022 census data, people of color account for 41.5% of the county’s population, and one in four residents was born outside the United States. Arlington Public Schools students speak 115 languages, according to a 2021 county profile.
County and schools outline their response
The Arlington County Board said the county does not call itself a “sanctuary jurisdiction,” warning that the term could incorrectly suggest local officials can shield residents from federal immigration enforcement. The county said it will continue meeting its legal obligations while reviewing federal actions.
County Board Chair Taris Karantonis said there had been no evidence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Arlington, although agents were operating elsewhere in Northern Virginia.
“We don’t want to create the illusion that if an ICE agent shows up with a warrant that we can stop them,” Karantonis said, noting that the Bozman Government Center is open to the public.
At the same time, he said residents should not be afraid to seek county services. Arlington continues to follow its Trust Policy, adopted in 2022, under which county personnel do not participate in immigration enforcement unless state or federal law requires it.
“Many of the immigrants, even if they have legal status, are feeling immense stress, and this is taking a toll on mental health,” Karantonis said. He added that the county wants every resident to receive needed services as officials monitor a rapidly changing situation.
Parents have raised particular concerns about sending their children to school. In a message sent to families after its Jan. 30 meeting, the Arlington School Board said employees had been trained to respond if law enforcement or immigration officers request access to students or their information.
APS does not ask students about immigration status. The district said federal privacy law generally prohibits schools from releasing student information to immigration agents without parental consent or appropriate legal justification.
Immigration officers will not be permitted to enter schools or remove students unless they follow the required legal process, APS said. Principals have been instructed to contact the central office and legal counsel immediately when presented with a warrant or other legal document.
Arlington County Police Department guidance also notes that the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized undocumented children’s right to attend public schools. However, federal authorities are not legally barred from conducting immigration enforcement at schools.
Previous Department of Homeland Security policy generally discouraged enforcement at sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals and churches. The Trump administration removed those protections that had been in place during the Biden administration.
County police said all people receive equal protection under the law regardless of immigration status and should not be afraid to seek police assistance. ACPD said its participation in ICE operations is limited to cases involving a criminal warrant for a specific person.
Advocates distribute rights information
Restoration Immigration Legal Aid, an Arlington organization that provides free assistance to asylum seekers and immigrant children, has been flooded with questions from worried clients.
Director Michelle Swearingen said parents are terrified and uncertain whether it remains safe to send their children to school.
RILA is teaching immigrants that they may remain silent, decline to answer the door and ask officers to show a warrant. The organization also demonstrates what a valid warrant looks like.
Swearingen said following that advice can be emotionally difficult for immigrants who want to cooperate with authorities and believe refusing to do so is wrong.
The Congregation Action Network has produced English- and Spanish-language “Know Your Rights” cards that Arlington volunteers are distributing at apartment complexes in South Arlington. The cards advise people not to open their doors, to remain silent, not to sign documents, to report and record encounters, and to prepare an emergency plan.
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church distributed the cards to 800 families during its weekly food distribution Jan. 29.
Churches are also reviewing how they would handle an attempted arrest on their property. Some are establishing private areas inside their buildings because public worship spaces may not offer the same protections. Entering a private area would generally require a judicial warrant identifying a particular person. The initial response would be to deny an officer entry while seeking legal assistance.
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington thanked immigrants from as many as 20 countries for their contributions to the church and the nation. He also recognized law enforcement officers and said Catholic teaching supports neither an open border nor indifference toward immigrants, but an approach that balances care for newcomers with responsibility for the country.
Episcopal Migration Ministries offers immigration-policy updates every two weeks and hosts a virtual response network on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Its Feb. 3 session focused on immigration fundamentals and the rights of churches and individuals.
The United Church of Christ Justice and Peace Action Network issued talking points opposing the executive orders. The Rev. Kathy Dwyer of Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ said her faith requires her to respond clearly to policies affecting immigrants. She said the church affirms every person’s dignity regardless of immigration status and remains a place of welcome and solidarity.
Doorways, which provides shelter, housing and other services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, said its programs continue without interruption. The Arlington nonprofit said security procedures are in place and that it remains committed to serving all survivors who need assistance.
Lawyers and community leaders voice alarm
Samuel Gutierrez McTyre, an Arlington immigration attorney for nearly four decades, challenged federal claims that enforcement primarily targets immigrants with criminal histories. He said immigrants generally come to the United States seeking safety rather than intending to commit crimes.
McTyre alleged that U.S. citizens have also been detained when they could not immediately prove their citizenship. He described the enforcement campaign as racially discriminatory and said immigrants were being placed on planes without receiving the court hearings required by the legal process.
Another Arlington immigration lawyer, Clare Cherkasky, said she did not expect widespread ICE arrests locally. She noted that immigrants who have been in the country for less than two years could face expedited removal, although she saw relatively little panic during a recent legal clinic and wondered whether some people understood the changes yet.
The Rev. DeLishia Davis, senior pastor of Calloway United Methodist Church and the newly elected leader of the local NAACP, said the policies extend beyond immigration.
“This is not just an immigration issue; it is a human rights issue,” Davis said, arguing that racial profiling and discrimination were also affecting U.S. citizens of color.
Kenn Speicher, co-founder of Arlington-based NOVA Friends of Refugees, described fear, anger and concern about deportation and family separation among immigrants and refugees, including those with legal status.
He recounted the experience of an Arlington resident whose housekeeper was scheduled to attend her citizenship ceremony in Manassas. On the same day, ICE officers knocked on her door while looking for a relative. Because she knew her rights, Speicher said, she did not open it.
He also described an Afghan couple who had spent years in the United States and helped relatives receive approval to immigrate. Those family members were waiting to board a flight to America when their plans were abruptly canceled.