Arlington County Urges Residents to Call 911 on Sightings of ICE Agents

The far-left DC suburb's board chairman says residents should report federal immigration enforcement as if they were common criminals.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 2:39pm

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The Arlington County Board of Supervisors in Virginia has urged its residents to report sightings of ICE agents to emergency services, drawing criticism from conservatives. The board chairman, a Democrat, said this is to "protect our neighbors and reduce harm" as the county has rescinded a state-federal cooperation agreement with the Department of Homeland Security.

Why it matters

The move by the liberal Arlington County government highlights the ongoing tensions between local jurisdictions and federal immigration enforcement, with the county taking a hardline stance against cooperating with ICE. This reflects the deep political divides on immigration policy in the US.

The details

Arlington County Board Chairman Matt de Ferranti, a Democrat, told residents at a recent board meeting that they should call 911 if they see ICE agents in the community. He claimed ICE's enforcement approach is "designed to provoke and seek out conflict" and that going door-to-door seeking "undocumented individuals" is wrong. The county has also rescinded a 287(g) state-federal cooperation agreement with the Department of Homeland Security that was previously in place under the prior governor.

  • The Arlington County Board of Supervisors made these comments at their most recent board meeting.
  • The county recently rescinded a 287(g) state-federal cooperation agreement with the Department of Homeland Security that was in place under the prior governor.

The players

Matt de Ferranti

The chairman of the Arlington County Board of Supervisors, a Democrat from the Rock Spring district.

Abigail Spanberger

The current governor of Virginia who rescinded the 287(g) agreement that was in place under the prior governor.

Glenn Youngkin

The recently departed governor of Virginia who had forged the 287(g) state-federal cooperation agreement with the Department of Homeland Security.

Todd Lyons

The ICE Director who criticized Arlington County officials for releasing a twice-deported Guatemalan national and convicted rapist from custody despite a federal detainer.

Parisa Dehghani-Tafti

The Arlington County Democratic Commonwealth's Attorney who said ICE wrongly targets people accused of but not always convicted of crimes.

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What they’re saying

“That is not just to follow the law, but to do everything possible to protect our neighbors and reduce harm. That means working together to call '911' when you see ICE in our community.”

— Matt de Ferranti, Arlington County Board Chairman

“You have an individual that is the worst of the worst, someone convicted of rape, and we had the opportunity to deport him... and they don't want to turn that individual over the right way.”

— Todd Lyons, ICE Director (Fox News)

“ICE wrongly targets people accused of but not always convicted of crimes – citing alleged situations involving ICE corralling suspects who appeared in court but before their cases were settled.”

— Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Arlington County Democratic Commonwealth's Attorney

What’s next

The judge in the case of the twice-deported Guatemalan national and convicted rapist released by Arlington County officials will decide on Tuesday whether to allow him to be released on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights the deep political divides over immigration enforcement, with liberal jurisdictions like Arlington County taking a hardline stance against cooperating with federal immigration authorities, even in cases involving serious criminals. The situation raises questions about public safety, the role of local law enforcement, and the balance of power between federal and local governments on immigration policy.