RICHMOND 鈥 A handful of Virginia鈥檚 133 localities, including two near 色多多, have agreed to work with federal immigration enforcement. Several more, including the Portsmouth Sheriff鈥檚 Office, are in the process of signing similar agreements, according to documents from the Department of Homeland Security.
Richmond鈥檚 own police department does not have such an agreement, which Police Chief Rick Edwards has suggested would undermine detectives鈥 ability to solve crime in immigrant communities. Immigrant advocacy organizations also vehemently oppose the partnerships.
Loudoun County remains Virginia鈥檚 largest locality to sign up to partner with federal immigration officials. It鈥檚 been joined by 12 other localities in the western portion of the Commonwealth, including Bedford, Franklin and Craig counties, near 色多多.
The agreements allow for local law enforcement to do some of the work typically reserved for employees of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
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Typically, the agreements have allowed for sheriff鈥檚 deputies to question detainees about their immigration status, a process which can then escalate into deportation proceedings if an undocumented individual is identified. Trained officers can also hold undocumented immigrants for a longer period of time.
Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman told NBC4 Washington that the ICE partnership would improve public safety and downplayed backlash.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 much ado about not a whole lot here, quite frankly,鈥 Chapman .
ICE publishes a list of law enforcement agencies that have signed what are known as 287(g) agreements, a reference to the federal immigration code that authorizes the partnerships.
The counties are joined by the Virginia State Police and the Virginia Department of Corrections, which were directed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to sign their own 287(g) agreements in February.
Youngkin also created a state police task force and directed his cabinet to 鈥渃ertify鈥 that all sheriffs and jail administrators would comply with that task force and cooperate with ICE. Sheriffs are constitutionally elected officials and their compliance is voluntary, although Youngkin threatened to defund local jails in December, a threat that was ultimately defused in budget negotiations with the state legislature.
Under one agreement model, known as the 鈥淭ask Force Model,鈥 local law enforcement can 鈥渋nterrogate any alien as to his right to be or remain in the United States,鈥 as well as process them for immigration violations. Officers certified by 287(g) can also execute warrants of arrest and issue immigration detainers.
Detainers are requests to take a person into federal custody.
The agreement signed by the Loudoun County Sheriff鈥檚 Office is narrower, and only authorizes deputies to serve warrants on individuals who are already in jail. It鈥檚 the same agreement, described by ICE as a 鈥淲arrant Service Officer鈥 model, that鈥檚 being pursued by the Portsmouth Sheriff鈥檚 Office.
Portsmouth Sheriff Michael A. Moore confirmed that they were in the final stages of signing off on such an agreement. Moore, a former agent with the DEA and ATF, said he felt compelled to help federal law enforcement, but cautioned that he "wasn't going to do anything that violated people's civil rights."聽
"Our assistance will be pretty limited. We'll be able to serve ICE warrants to people that come into our facility," said Moore.
All the 287(g) agreements were signed by the 12 participating jurisdictions聽in the wake of Gov. Youngkin鈥檚 February executive order, ICE's database shows.
Several civil rights groups have condemned Youngkin鈥檚 encouragement of 287(g). In a statement, progressive advocacy organization New Virginia Majority said Youngkin鈥檚 order 鈥渢akes away freedoms by enabling law enforcement to become de facto immigration agents in Virginia.鈥
Immigrant advocacy group CASA said Youngkin鈥檚 order will create a 鈥渃limate of fear and profiling that harms all Virginians.鈥 And the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia said Youngkin would be 鈥渨asting Virginians鈥 tax dollars terrorizing local communities."
鈥淓xecutive orders like this play politics with people's lives, waste taxpayer dollars, and ignore the fact that immigrants have been an indispensable part of Virginia for centuries,鈥 the group said in a statement.
When he announced the executive order, Youngkin said he was doing so to safeguard Virginians.
鈥淒angerous criminal illegal immigrants should not be let back into our communities to assault, rape and murder. They should be sent back where they came from,鈥 said Youngkin in a press release announcing the initiative.
In April, Youngkin credited the 287(g) agreements for what he said were more than 500 arrests made since February 25. Youngkin said more than 130 of those arrested were gang members.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi called Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares "incredible partners with the Department of Justice."
Several more state agencies have ICE partnerships that have not yet been finalized. They include the Department of Wildlife Resources, the Department of Corrections鈥 internal police force and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, which polices Virginia鈥檚 coastline and fisheries.
