Our State Legislators Have the Opportunity to Protect All Virginians
This article was originally published by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
As mayor of Harrisonburg, I have seen our community come together time and time again in the face of adversity. This is true now more than ever. In the last few months, I've seen neighbors step up for each other in extraordinary ways in response to senseless federal action that has put our community members in harm's way.
At this very moment across our city, families are sitting around the dinner table discussing the impossible decision of whether to take their children to school, seek medical care, or go to work and risk being targeted by harmful federal immigration enforcement. That’s why Harrisonburg is doubling down on our commitment to support our community members by not participating in 287g agreements that would take limited resources away from ensuring community security and instead force local law enforcement to target the communities they have pledged to keep safe.
The Virginia General Assembly must do the same.
As a life-long Virginian, I’ve had the honor of meeting many immigrants and refugees who proudly call Harrisonburg home. To put this in perspective, just over 13% of the state's population — 11% in Rockingham County — are newcomers contributing significantly to our state not only as entrepreneurs, STEM and health care workers, construction, transportation and warehousing employees, but as invaluable friends and neighbors.
Despite the many ways newcomers have made us better, stronger and more prosperous, we’ve seen federal immigration enforcement actions target our beloved community members. Across the country and in our own cities, there has been an overwhelming 320% increase in total immigration arrests by ICE since 2024. Less than 14% of those arrests — fewer than one in seven — were individuals who had charges or convictions for violent criminal offenses, and, as we saw in Minnesota, many arrests targeted lawfully present community members, including refugees who have already completed a years-long resettlement process and multiple steps of security vetting and interviews.
These actions seek only to divide us, increasing harm to all Virginians. Not to mention, they are incredibly unpopular among Americans. Two-thirds of Americans think ICE has “gone too far” and disapprove of the way ICE is enforcing immigration laws. The majority of Americans believe that ICE is making cities — and the country as a whole — less safe, and nearly half of us know someone personally who is living in fear as a result of these dangerous federal actions.
These policies are having a direct impact on people and institutions across the commonwealth, from our immigrant and refugee communities, to our local law enforcement, our schools and small businesses. Families are too afraid to report crimes, access health care, or participate fully in community life, creating an unsafe environment not only for immigrants and refugees, but for the entire community.
Governor Spanberger’s recent actions to rescind Executive Order 47’s directive to cooperate with ICE and her recent executive directive instructing the state’s law enforcement agencies to terminate their agreements with ICE are steps in the right direction. However, there are still avenues that allow federal overreach to threaten our immigrant and refugee community members, who worry that a simple traffic stop, a call for help or a routine interaction with police or a sheriff could lead to detention or deportation as public trust in law enforcement erodes.
Encouragingly, there are commonsense solutions the state legislature can pass to ensure all our neighbors are protected, and our local resources are used for local priorities.
The Virginia General Assembly should enact a suite of legislation currently making its way through the legislative process that, taken together, would limit state and local law enforcement collaboration with ICE. These bills would protect our community members as they access courts, schools, hospitals and other sensitive areas. They would also require law enforcement, including federal law enforcement, to not wear masks and be identifiable to the public. Importantly, these solutions would help strengthen community trust, improve public safety, and ensure that law enforcement resources are focused on protecting residents.
In Harrisonburg, we make sure everyone feels welcome. All Virginians, regardless of how long they’ve called this home, should be able to live here without fear.
Deanna Reed is the mayor of Harrisonburg, Virginia.
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