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Fairfax County Progress Undercut by Continuing Advance Notice to ICE
FAIRFAX, VA – Fairfax for All, a coalition of top immigration advocacy and membership organizations and allies, secured a partial victory as the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office terminated its Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA) with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) effective May 23. However, the Sheriff’s Office will continue to collaborate with ICE.
Under the IGSA, the Sheriff’s Office held inmates for ICE as long as 48 hours past their court-ordered release time with only an administrative civil detainer from ICE. The Sheriff’s Office policy now requires an ICE detainer be accompanied by a criminal judicial order. However, the victory is significantly undercut by the Sheriff’s agreement to continue sharing information with ICE and notifying ICE of immigrants’ scheduled release dates. Fairfax for All issued the following joint statement:
“It’s a bittersweet moment for the coalition because, while we are grateful for Sheriff Stacey Kincaid’s adoption of a criminal warrant requirement, that progress is substantially undercut by granting ICE advance notice of the date and time immigrants are released. This continued collaboration with ICE means a person can be detained as they walk out of jail. In fact, because the Sheriff continues giving ICE access to the jail facilities, ICE can pick an immigrant detainee up at the moment of their release. This not only aids in deportations and family separations but also undermines trust of law enforcement and county officials. Ultimately, continuing collaboration with ICE is at odds with Fairfax County’s assertion that it is a welcoming community and threatens public safety. Giving with one hand and taking away with the other underscores the leaps and bounds Fairfax County officials must go for public safety to be a reality for all who live in Fairfax County.”
The Fairfax for All coalition will continue advocating for Fairfax County to completely end its voluntary collaboration with ICE. The coalition includes CASA, ACLU People Power Fairfax, the Immigration Issues Committee of Herndon-Reston Indivisible, La ColectiVA, DMV Sanctuary Congregation Network, NAKASEC, Tenant & Workers United, Demos, and other members of the community.
