This week, Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin slammed the Arlington County Board’s decision to prohibit the police force from cooperating with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in their efforts to deport illegal aliens.
“The Arlington County Board’s latest action to prohibit Arlington Police from any cooperation with ICE, even regarding violent MS-13 gang members who are illegally here, is dereliction of duty and a betrayal of the oath they swore to protect their constituents,” Youngkin wrote on X.
“At what point did protecting violent illegal immigrants become more important than protecting your constituents?”
According to ARL Now, the now-removed Section 7 of the board’s Trust Policy allowed ACPD to notify ICE in the event of cases with undocumented immigrants that involved violent felonies, gang-related criminal offenses, terrorism and human trafficking.
“The Virginia Homeland Security Task Force has been working in Arlington County, catching and arresting violent criminals, including MS-13 gang members. That will continue - unabated - in Arlington and around the Commonwealth,” Youngkin added.
The Arlington County Board’s latest action to prohibit Arlington Police from any cooperation with ICE, even regarding violent MS-13 gang members who are illegally here, is dereliction of duty and a betrayal of the oath they swore to protect their constituents. At what point did…
— Glenn Youngkin (@GlennYoungkin) May 15, 2025
Reportedly, during the Arlington County Board meeting on Tuesday, Board Chair Takis Karantonis said, “What we cannot do — what we don’t want to do — is to enforce immigration on behalf of, or for, the federal government.”
Karantonis also admitted to local press that he would not reverse the police, even if it made the county a magnet for terrorists, gang members, and human traffickers, as ICE warned.
🚨Arlington, VA just banned their police from cooperating with ICE.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 16, 2025
ICE says this will make the county "a magnet for terrorists, gang members, and human traffickers."
Arlington County Chair admits he doesn't care. pic.twitter.com/UnqzAaElTL
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