Youngkin calls Arlington County Board's ICE policy a ‘dereliction of duty'
ARLINGTON, Va. () — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) condemned the Arlington County Board's recent move prohibiting local police from cooperating with ICE, calling it a 'betrayal.'
On Tuesday, the board unanimously voted to take language out of its '' meaning county law enforcement cannot proactively contact federal immigration authorities about any issue involving undocumented immigrants.
Arlington County Board votes to prohibit police from contacting ICE
One of the concerns from immigration lawyers and board members that sparked this change is that immigrants have been afraid to report crimes to police for fear of being deported.
'The rhetoric and actions of this administration have led to tremendous stress and fear in our community, and we want to make sure all residents feel safe in engaging with local government, particularly with local law enforcement, ' Takis Karantonis, chair of the Arlington County Board, . 'The County continues to follow state and federal law, but neither requires us to have Section 7. The County has always held that immigration enforcement is the sole and exclusive responsibility of the federal government, and this decision remains consistent with that understanding.'
People opposed to the policy change, however, said the move makes the community less safe.
'It's not the American way': Dozens protest outside Supreme Court as judges hear arguments on birthright citizenship order
Youngkin took to Thursday evening to voice his opposition to the action, saying, in part, that it's a 'dereliction of duty and a betrayal of the oath they swore to protect their constituents.'
'At what point did protecting violent illegal immigrants become more important than protecting your constituents,' he wrote.
DC News Now reached out to the Arlington County Board for a statement in regard to Youngkin's post but did not hear back in time for publication.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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