ICE ramps up immigrant arrests in Virginia courthouses
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios; Photos: Adam Gray/Getty Images and Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are arresting immigrants in courthouses across Virginia, in some cases moments after their hearings end.
Why it matters: The courthouse crackdown is part of a sweeping Trump administration effort to fast-track removals and increase the number of deportations this year — a strategy that's dramatically expanding who gets targeted and how, Axios' Alayna Alvarez and Brittany Gibson report.
Driving the news: The latest of these reported Virginia incidents took place in Chesterfield this past week, when ICE agents detained at least 14 people at the county courthouse, per Chesterfield's Sheriff's Office.
- County Sheriff Karl Leonard said in a statement that ICE arrested all of them post-court appearances.
- He also told RTD on Wednesday that he's asked agents to operate more discreetly and use side rooms instead of public hallways.
- The Chesterfield arrests have led to protests and pushback from Democratic lawmakers.
Catch up quick: At least 45 immigrants have been arrested at courthouses statewide since a similar incident was reported in Albemarle in April, which also sparked protests, per media reports.
- Most of those arrests have been in the past month, when advocates say agents have shown up to immigration courts in Annandale and Loudoun County — sometimes allegedly masked.
The big picture: Virginia is already a hot spot for immigration enforcement.
- But the recent ramp-up follows a January policy shift allowing ICE to target courthouses for the first time in years — a move advocates say is quietly upending the legal process for immigrants.
- A senior Homeland Security spokesperson, however, tells Axios ICE is "now following the law" and placing immigrants in expedited removal.
What they're saying: Immigration enforcement at courthouses happened in previous administrations, says Daniel Morales, a VCU history professor specializing in immigration. But it wasn't common, Morales adds.
- "This is different. This is a lot more public," Morales tells Axios. "They're not waiting for a final court order. Instead, they're picking up people in the process."
What we're watching: With ICE under pressure to triple daily detainments to 3,000, advocates warn more arrests in sensitive locations, including courthouses, are likely coming.
Go deeper: ICE ramps up immigrant arrests in courthouses across U.S.