(The Center Square) — Arlington County is facing growing backlash from Virginia Republicans after the board voted to ban local police from notifying federal immigration authorities.
The new policy applies even in cases involving suspected gang members, human traffickers or terrorists.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares called the move “negligence,” saying on social media that Arlington is “banning local police from alerting ICE about terrorists, MS-13 gang members, and human traffickers.”
“Leftist politicians refuse to see the havoc they’re wreaking on the communities they claim to champion,” Miyares added. “Virginians deserve better.”
Republican congressional candidate Mike Clancy, who’s running in Virginia’s 10th District, also weighed in, calling the policy a “shocking defiance of federal law” and accusing the board of putting politics ahead of public safety.
The updated ordinance, approved unanimously on Tuesday, expands Arlington’s “Trust Policy” by explicitly barring county law enforcement from initiating contact with ICE or other immigration agencies—even when an individual is flagged in federal databases. Officers can still respond to direct requests from federal agencies but may not share information or make notifications unprompted.
Supporters of the measure say it strengthens trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement. Critics argue it could block critical alerts about dangerous individuals who might otherwise go undetected by federal authorities.
The vote follows a push earlier this year from Gov. Glenn Youngkin to penalize so-called “sanctuary cities” through a proposed budget amendment that would withhold state funding from jurisdictions that don’t cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
In one widely cited case, Fairfax County authorities released a man without notifying ICE, despite a lengthy criminal record. He was later charged with rape in Herndon, prompting criticism from Republican leaders who say local noncompliance can lead to preventable violence.
The vote puts Arlington at the center of a broader debate over local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, one likely to surface again in Virginia’s 2025 statewide and congressional elections.
