Testimony of the Church World Service and the Refugee Advocacy Lab: Opposing H.B. No. 42: An Act to Mandate the Collection of Citizenship Status Data
Before the Courts of Justice Committee
Date: January 28, 2026
Submitted by: Rodrigue Makelele, CWS Senior Community Organizer, on behalf of Church World Service and the Refugee Advocacy Lab
Statement of Support
Thank you Chair Surovell, and Members of the Committee for the opportunity to submit testimony in support of Senate Bill (S.B.) 783, relating to law-enforcement agencies or localities; agreements with federal authority for certain immigration enforcement; limitations; collection of data and Senate Bill (S.B.) 352, relating to law enforcement officers; restrictions on wearing of facial coverings, exceptions; civil liability.
On behalf of Church World Service and as an advocate for Virginia’s vibrant refugee and immigrant communities, I am writing to express our strong support for SB 783 and SB 352. This legislation is a critical step toward ensuring that Virginia remains a welcoming place for all residents, regardless of their place of birth. By establishing clear guardrails for agreements between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, SB 783 protects the civil rights, fiscal resources, and safety of every Virginian. Likewise, SB 352 ensures Virginian communities know the identities of law enforcement they encounter, promoting clarity and public trust.
The Community Impact of SB 783
As organizations like Church World Service have long emphasized, when local police are deputized as immigration agents through programs like 287(g), it creates a "chilling effect" that undermines the safety of the entire community.
Restoring Trust in Public Safety: For a community to be safe, every resident must feel secure calling 911. When the line between local police and federal immigration enforcement is blurred, victims of domestic violence, witnesses to crimes, and families in crisis stay in the shadows out of fear that a cry for help will lead to deportation. SB 783 ensures that local officers focus on community safety, not federal administrative functions.
Protecting Sensitive Locations: No one should fear being separated from their family while attending a house of worship, seeking medical care, taking their children to school, or seeking justice in a courthouse. This bill codifies vital protections by prohibiting immigration enforcement activities at schools, hospitals, courthouses, and houses of worship—sanctified spaces that must remain accessible to all.
Ending Bias-Based Profiling: History has shown that local immigration enforcement often leads to systemic racial profiling. By expanding the Virginia Community Policing Act to track the presence of federal officers and any violations of state law during stops, SB 783 provides the data-driven transparency necessary to hold agencies accountable and prevent discriminatory practices. We also salute the requirement that all immigration enforcement must be accompanied by a judicially authorized warrant.
Prioritizing Local Resources: Virginia’s tax dollars should be spent on local priorities like education, infrastructure, and emergency services—not on bankrolling federal deportation efforts. SB 783 ensures that if a locality chooses to assist federal authorities, it is fully reimbursed for those costs, preventing the drain of precious local resources.
Upholding Due Process and Dignity: This bill ensures that anyone detained for an immigration purpose is afforded the same procedural and due process rights as any person investigated for a criminal violation. Treating our neighbors with dignity and ensuring they have access to legal protections is a reflection of Virginia’s core values of justice and equity.
Feedback on SB 783 - Remove Sunset Clause
Church World Service strongly advocates for the removal of the expiration date currently set for June 30, 2028. The safety and due process rights of our immigrant neighbors are not seasonal or political; they are enduring values that should be protected by the Commonwealth in perpetuity, independent of changes in administration.
The Community Impact of SB 352
For many refugees and immigrants, interactions with law enforcement are shaped by past experiences with masked or anonymous security forces in countries where identity-concealing practices were used to intimidate, suppress dissent, or evade accountability. When law-enforcement officers in Virginia conceal their identities outside of clearly justified circumstances, it can trigger fear, retraumatization, and reluctance to report crimes or cooperate with authorities—undermining public safety for everyone.
SB352 strikes a careful and necessary balance. It clearly prohibits unnecessary identity concealment during routine official duties and requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish a model policy and mandating agency-level adoption. The bill ensures consistent standards statewide and prevents ambiguity that erodes public confidence. Importantly, the bill’s civil liability provisions provide meaningful accountability when harm occurs. Refugees and immigrants—who may already face barriers to legal recourse—benefit from clear, enforceable remedies that affirm equal protection under the law and reinforce that no officer is above accountability when acting outside legal bounds.
SB352 sends a clear message that Virginia values transparency in policing and understands that trust is foundational to effective law enforcement. When communities know who is policing them and that misconduct has consequences, they are more likely to engage, report crimes, and work collaboratively with public institutions.
Conclusion
SB 783 provides the necessary oversight to ensure that law enforcement partnerships with federal authorities are transparent, limited in scope, and consistent with the protections of the Virginia Constitution. SB 352 restricts law enforcement officers in Virginia from wearing facial coverings that conceal their identities, create civil liability for violations, and require agencies to adopt policies in light of this new statewide model. We must prioritize policies that build bridges of trust rather than walls of fear.
We respectfully urge the Committee to report SB 783 and SB 352.
Sincerely,
Rodrigue Makelele
CWS Senior Community Organizer
Church World Service Virginia, a refugee resettlement agency, has welcomed refugees and immigrants from around the world to the Shenandoah Valley for more than 30 years. CWS works alongside partnerships with individuals, faith communities, local organizations, and community leaders to empower Virginia’s newest neighbors to build new lives in peace through resettlement and integration like housing, education, healthcare, legal immigration services, home study and post release services, and advocacy that amplifies refugee and immigrant voices.
