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Northern Virginia’s immigrant communities are facing renewed anxiety after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests were reported in Herndon, Arlington and other local locations on Tuesday, March 4.
The arrests came days after Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 47 on Feb. 27, directing state law enforcement and corrections officers to assist federal immigration enforcement. The order also asks local governments to cooperate fully with ICE enforcement and removal operations.
The developments add another source of uncertainty for a region already confronting federal agency upheaval, employee terminations and layoffs. Northern Virginia is home to approximately 80,000 federal workers.
Local governments reaffirm welcoming policies
Fairfax County, Arlington County and Alexandria have policies emphasizing that services and protections extend to residents regardless of immigration or citizenship status.
The three jurisdictions have declined to enter agreements under Section 287(g) of a 1996 federal law. Such agreements allow ICE to delegate certain immigration-enforcement duties to federally trained and certified local officers. They may also permit ICE to use locally managed detention facilities.
Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey said his office will not conduct immigration enforcement or allow the Alexandria Adult Detention Center to house people arrested by ICE during immigration operations. He also said the office would neither spend taxpayer money nor accept funding for immigration-enforcement activities.
“This policy is unwavering and will not change under any circumstances,” Casey said.
Arlington County similarly said its policies and operations have not changed despite uncertainty caused by recent federal enforcement actions. County officials pledged to continue treating residents with dignity and respect while upholding Arlington’s commitments to diversity and inclusion.
Fairfax County ended an agreement involving its detention center in May 2018. Sheriff Stacey Kincaid said at the time that the contract unnecessarily required the county to devote resources beyond its federal obligations. Her office maintained that it would continue complying with applicable requirements involving ICE.
Executive order prompts local reviews
Youngkin’s order is pushing local agencies to revisit their stated positions.
A Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said the agency was reviewing the executive order and would continue following local, state and federal law.
The Alexandria Sheriff’s Office was awaiting further information from Virginia’s secretary of public safety and homeland security. Based on the initial details, however, a spokesperson said the office did not anticipate changing its policies or procedures.
Executive Order 47 directs the Virginia State Police and Virginia Department of Corrections to enter Section 287(g) agreements with ICE. It also instructs the state public safety secretary to ask every sheriff or other authority operating a local jail to certify cooperation with ICE enforcement and removal operations.
The order says Virginia should maximize cooperation with the federal government and use available measures to help arrest and deport undocumented immigrants who are considered inadmissible or removable and have committed crimes. It cites three criminal cases involving undocumented immigrants: a fatal vehicle crash, a sexual assault and a rape.
Youngkin, who took office in 2022, has previously used executive orders to advance policies involving education and drugs. Thirteen of his orders have declared weather emergencies.
Advocates warn of damaged trust
The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy told its approximately 20,000 members that it had serious concerns about the order.
The organization warned that expanded immigration enforcement could increase racial profiling and further damage relationships between law enforcement and Black and Brown communities. It also objected to portraying immigrant residents as dangerous criminals and argued that the order does not address broader problems in the immigration system.
Working with the Congregation Action Network, the center is urging Youngkin to reconsider Executive Order 47. Co-executive director the Rev. Dr. LaKeisha Cook said nearly 1,000 emails had been sent asking the governor to reverse course.
Resources remain available for immigrants seeking help. Fairfax County maintains a list of legal, educational and hotline services, while the nonprofit Ayuda provides legal, social and language assistance to low-income immigrants.