Virginia’s governor says Arlington County ‘standing in the way’ of federal immigration authorities

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin slammed Arlington County on Wednesday for breaking an agreement with immigration authorities, a week after the county just outside of the nation’s capital voted to stop alerting federal agents when they arrest migrants accused of violent crimes.

Mr. Youngkin, a Republican, delivered the broadside while celebrating the arrest of more than 1,000 illegal immigrants suspected of major crimes as part of an ongoing operation by the Virginia Homeland Security Task Force.

“I want to challenge jurisdictions like Arlington County,” he said while standing beside U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The federal resources, the state resources are going to work to take these violent criminals off the streets … You should be part of the solution as opposed to standing in the way.”

The governor said members of Salvadoran gang MS-13 and Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua are among those captured by the task force.

Virginia’s state police and correctional officials, and the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Marshals make up the partnership that came about following President Trump’s return to the White House.

Mr. Youngkin’s comments were spurred by Arlington County’s vote last week to end voluntary cooperation with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

The prior arrangement allowed police to contact ICE when an illegal immigrant was arrested on felony charges, or was suspected of being a gang member, terrorist or human trafficker.

ICE is still allowed to pick up illegal immigrants released from Arlington County’s jail, but local authorities will no longer tip off agents when they have a migrant in custody on suspicion of a violent crime.

Arlington County’s Board said the policy change was inspired by the local police reaching out to immigration authorities too frequently.

Officers have contacted ICE 17 times since January, according to data obtained by ARLnow.com. Last year, the Arlington County Police Department interacted with ICE a total of 18 times. ACPD contacted ICE seven times in 2023 and four times in 2022.

“What we cannot do, what we don’t want to do, is to enforce immigration on behalf of, or for, the federal government,” Arlington County Board Chair Takis Karantonis said during the May 13 meeting.

The governor called the move a “dereliction of duty” and a “betrayal” to Arlington residents’ public safety interests last week.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, also a Republican, joined the dogpile on the county board’s revised policy.

“Banning local police from alerting ICE about terrorists, MS-13 gang members, and human traffickers isn’t compassion — it’s negligence,” Mr. Miyares wrote on X. “Leftist politicians refuse to see the havoc they’re wreaking on the communities they claim to champion. Virginians deserve better.”

Mr. Karantonis said illegal immigrants arrested for serious crimes will still be prosecuted in the county’s court system.

While Arlington County appears to be severing its ties with ICE, another Northern Virginia suburban county is maintaining its relationship with the agency.

A 4-3 vote last week among the Prince William County Board of Supervisors permitted ICE to keep using a spacious indoor gun range to help train agents.

Supervisor Andrea Bailey, a Democrat, was the decisive lawmaker who broke with her party colleagues to side with the board’s Republican minority.

None of the supervisors discussed the measure prior to the open-and-shut vote on May 13.

The indoor range, called the Mike Pennington Scenario-Based Training Facility, formerly belonged to Elite Shooting Sports.