Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted raids in several Northern Virginia neighborhoods this week, sparking pushback from immigration advocates. The agency did not provide any details about the operations, including the number of detainees or the crimes they were charged with. Activists in Northern Virginia expressed their support for impacted communities by chanting “HERE TO STAY” at a news conference.
According to John Cano from the Legal Aid Justice Center, ICE has been detaining individuals without criminal records who were simply walking to work at the time of the encounters. The agency’s tactics have raised concerns among immigrant rights groups.
The raids occurred shortly after Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order directing state law enforcement to collaborate with federal ICE agents. Virginia State Police confirmed that they had entered into an agreement with ICE to assist in the removal of “dangerous criminals” who are not in the country legally.
At a news conference, a woman identified as Nadia expressed fear and emphasized the resilience of immigrant communities. She stated, “They decided that we’re criminals. But we’re not, we’re community… But we’re here to tell them we’re not going anywhere.”
While ICE has used its website to announce successful detainments, details about the recent operations in Virginia remain undisclosed. The situation has caused anxiety and uncertainty among immigrant communities in the region.
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