ICE calls out Arlington police for not cooperating in arresting illegal immigrants

ARLINGTON, Virginia — Immigration and Customs Enforcement called out the Arlington County Police Department for not cooperating with the department’s initiative to apprehend illegal immigrants.

In a response exclusively received by the Washington Examiner, the local police are simply saying, “That’s not our job.”

ICE announced the arrest of a Guatemalan male, who entered the country illegally, for breaking into a home in Arlington, Virginia.

Edgar Bernabe Estrada has been arrested several times by local law enforcement and has a criminal record dating back to 2000. The 45-year-old has racked up larceny charges, the act of manufacturing, selling, or possessing a fictitious operator’s license, and breaking and entering with the intention to commit a felony, a charge for which the now 45-year-old was convicted and sentenced to serve more than two and a half years in prison.

“ICE Washington, D.C. will continue our efforts to prioritize public safety of our communities by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders from our streets.” ICE ERO Washington, D.C., Field Office Director Russ Hott said. “We remain absolutely committed to our mission of enforcing U.S. immigration laws throughout Virginia and the District, even in jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with ICE.”

Back in May, the Arlington County Board voted to modify its “trust policy” to stifle the police department’s ability to work with ICE even if the suspect is arrested on charges of committing a violent felony, gang activity, human trafficking, or a terrorist attack.

In a press release, ICE wrote, “Arlington County officials release criminal alien offenders back into their community to reoffend, rather than allowing ICE officers to arrest them while they’re in local law enforcement custody.”

When the Washington Examiner asked ACPD for a response to the accusations from ICE, Ashley Savage, the media relations and public affairs manager, responded, saying, “Federal immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the federal government.” Then, they proceeded to attach a copy of the trust policy.

WHRO reported that ICE has made more than 4,000 arrests in Virginia so far this year. This is more than the combined total of the previous four years.

County Board Chairman Takis Karantonis told Washington Examiner he wanted to repeal Section 7 specifically because of the Trump administration’s actions on illegal immigrants. 

ARLINGTON COUNTY BOARD IS ACTIVELY WORKING TO PREVENT POLICE FROM COOPERATING WITH ICE

“The decision to remove Section 7 and related language comes in the wake of the federal administration’s ongoing erosion of the constitutional right to due process, which every person has regardless of their status,” Karantonis said. “The rhetoric and actions of this administration have led to tremendous stress and fear in our community. … The County has always held that immigration enforcement is the sole and exclusive responsibility of the federal government.”

ICE did not respond to a request for comment, instead sending an automatic reply stating that media requests may not be monitored during the government shutdown.