Arlington County Board Votes to Shield Illegal Alien Felons from ICE: Public Safety Replaced by Political Theater
Progressive Officials Eliminate Critical Safeguards, Prioritize Sanctuary Ideology Over Citizen Safety
In a unanimous vote that has stunned law enforcement officials and local residents, the Democrat-controlled Arlington County Board officially banned its police department from notifying federal immigration authorities—including ICE—about the arrests of illegal aliens, even those involved in terrorism, gang activity, human trafficking, and violent felonies.
The decision, approved Tuesday night by all five board members—Chair Takis Karantonis, Vice Chair Matt de Ferranti, Maureen Coffey, Susan Cunningham, and JD Spain Sr.—struck down Section 7 of Arlington’s 2022 public safety policy, a provision specifically designed to permit discretionary ICE notifications in cases involving serious public safety threats.
Now, that power is gone.
Section 7: What Arlington Just Erased
Before the vote, Section 7 of Arlington’s “Trust Policy” allowed limited communication between the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) and ICE in extreme cases, such as:
- Illegal aliens arrested for violent felonies
- Identified gang members
- Suspects in terrorism or human trafficking
- Confirmed community safety threats based on articulable intelligence
These decisions required supervisory approval and documentation, offering a measured, fact-based approach to public safety cooperation with federal authorities.
But on Tuesday, that lifeline was cut off.
The Board’s Justification: Feelings Over Facts
Board Chair Karantonis defended the decision as a way to restore trust between the police and the county’s immigrant population:
“We are not going to allow anymore that our law enforcement proactively contacts the federal government immigration authorities on any issue.”
He added that ICE contact had supposedly led to a “decrease in trust,” which in turn made residents “afraid to call 911.”
But critics point out the obvious: If illegal alien gang members and traffickers can’t be reported, how exactly is that keeping communities safer?
Arlington’s ICE Contacts Were Increasing — Until Now
Ironically, the policy change comes just as ICE cooperation in Arlington had begun to rise again under President Trump’s administration.
- 17 ICE contacts made by ACPD so far in 2025
- Only 18 in all of 2024
- Seven in 2023
- Just four in 2022
This increase wasn’t random—it reflected a renewed focus on prioritizing threats, not targeting nonviolent immigrants.
Now, that progress has been reversed by partisan appeasement.
The $250,000 Sanctuary Subsidy
Adding to the controversy, the Board previously allocated $250,000 to organizations defending undocumented immigrants, including those facing federal removal proceedings—potentially even those involved in serious crimes.
So while the police can’t report dangerous individuals to ICE, the county is actively funding legal resources to help them stay.
The Real Fallout: Lawlessness as Policy
By shielding illegal aliens engaged in violent crime from ICE notifications, Arlington has effectively removed one of the last tools local law enforcement had to protect residents from criminal alien activity. This decision mirrors similar sanctuary measures in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago—cities now plagued by skyrocketing crime and strained resources.
What’s especially alarming is that Section 7 wasn’t a blanket dragnet—it was narrowly crafted to focus only on the most dangerous offenders. Eliminating it sends a clear message: ideological loyalty to sanctuary politics now trumps community safety.
Conclusion: Public Safety Betrayed
This vote marks a sobering milestone in the progressive transformation of local government—where political theater and anti-federal defiance take precedence over protecting law-abiding citizens.
In Arlington, the rights of illegal alien gang members, traffickers, and felons now officially outweigh the safety of American families, legal immigrants, and the officers sworn to defend them.
This isn’t progress—it’s surrender.