DHS’s list of Virginia’s ‘non-compliant sanctuary jurisdictions’ disappears from website

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- After the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a list of what it called "sanctuary jurisdictions defying federal immigration law," which included many Virginia localities, it has since disappeared from the department's website.

On Thursday, May 19, the department released a list of counties and cities in many states, including 33 counties and cities in Virginia that it said are "sanctuary jurisdictions," which, it said, "protect dangerous criminal aliens."

The list was created to "identify sanctuary jurisdictions," according to the department, which it said are determined by factors like "compliance with federal law enforcement, information restrictions and legal protections for illegal aliens."

The department said each jurisdiction in the list would receive formal notification of its non-compliance with federal statutes.

A note before the breakdown of each state's list, however, warned that the list could be "reviewed and changed at any time."

"Note that the list can be reviewed and changed at any time and will be updated regularly," the department said. "No one should act on this information without conducting their own evaluation of the information."

The list has since disappeared from the department's website.

The following are two screenshots was taken by 8News of the list of 33 Virginia localities on Friday, May 30, when it was available on the department's website:

The following error message appears when clicking on the list's previous page as of the time of reporting:

Governor Youngkin's reponse

Following the posting of the list, 8News asked Governor Glenn Youngkin for comment, to which he said, in part, "Virginia is not a sanctuary state, and I've made that really clear."

Youngkin cited success in the Commonwealth's collaboration with federal agencies, citing thousands of arrests of who he referred to as "violent criminals who are here illegally."

"I think we're up on over 1,300 arrests of violent criminals who are here illegally, now, through our Virginia Homeland Security Task Force," Youngkin said.

Youngkin further expressed his disappointment that Northern Virginia locality Arlington reportedly announced its protections for immigrants.

"There are some that really are sanctuary cities; our sanctuary counties like Arlington and Fairfax, Youngkin said. "And we just need them to get with this whole effort to keep Virginians safe. And I've said before, I am really, really concerned by the fact that Arlington County came out and said that they want to protect violent illegal criminals ahead of their own constituents, and they're not going to collaborate with ICE, and I think that's a dereliction of duty."

Arlington County's website, however, stated that though it does not enforce federal immigration law, it does define itself as a "sanctuary jurisdiction," as it reportedly does not have the authority to shield residents from immigration enforcement actions by the federal government.

Fairfax County's website also said it "does not and will not enforce civil federal immigration laws," as their enforcement is "solely a federal responsibility under the exclusive authority of ICE."

Youngkin further said that he had asked localities that appear on the list to respond, adding that many jurisdictions have commented that they do not belong on the list.

8News also asked Central Virginia localities and associated law enforcement agencies for their responses to appearing on the list.

Richmond

The following statement was provided by Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards in regard to its appearance on the list:

The Richmond Police Department’s (RPD) mission is to concentrate on community policing to advance public safety in Richmond. 

Interacting with all members of the community and building trust results in a safer Richmond for us all. Recently, several armed robberies occurred in South Richmond where the suspect targeted Spanish-speaking individuals. As a result of previous RPD outreach in that community and with assistance of local stakeholders, all seven victims and witnesses testified, resulting in a conviction. They also appeared at sentencing which assisted the bench in handing down an appropriate sentence. This illustrates the focus on connection, trust, and public safety bringing benefits to everyone. Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards

Hanover County

The following statement was provided by Hanover County, the Hanover County Sheriff's Office and the Hanover County Commonwealth's Attorney:

Hanover County is aware that its name appears on a list released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) referencing “sanctuary jurisdictions” that are deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws and endangering American citizens.

We do not know why the County is on this list, and we have contacted our state and federal partners to request clarification. To date, they have not provided an explanation.

We want to be clear: Hanover County follows all federal laws. The Sheriff’s Office cooperates fully with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) whenever assistance is requested. Neither the County, the Board of Supervisors, the Sheriff or the Commonwealth’s Attorney take any action that would interfere with federal immigration enforcement.

Hanover County remains committed to the rule of law and to ensuring the safety and security of our community. Hanover County, the Hanover County Sheriff's Office and the Hanover County Commonwealth's Attorney

Dinwiddie County

Dinwiddie County provided the following comment to 8News:

Dinwiddie does not believe it belongs on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s list of sanctuary cities and has contacted the Office of Homeland Security to seek clarification regarding this designation.

At the beginning of the list, it is stated, “Each jurisdiction listed will receive formal notification of its non-compliance with Federal statutes.”  The County has not received such notice.  To be clear, the Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors has never declared the County to be a sanctuary jurisdiction.

Dinwiddie County has deep respect and appreciation for all federal, state, and local law enforcement officers – including ICE.  We remain committed to lawful, transparent operations and to the safety and well-being of all residents.  Dinwiddie County

Chesterfield County

In regard to Chesterfield County's appearance on the list, a spokesperson for the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office said, "Sheriff Leonard stated that we are not a sanctuary city."

Other Central Virginia localities

The Henrico County Police Division told 8News that a statement would hopefully be forthcoming.

8News also reached out to Brunswick County, which, as of the time of reporting, had not yet responded.

Martinsville

Other localities in Southwestern Virginia, including Martinsville, took to social media regarding their appearance on the list.

Martinsville appeared in both the "cities" and "counties" categories, although Martinsville is a city. City officials said its classification as a sanctuary jurisdiction is incorrect.

Martinsville posted the following to Facebook on Thursday, May 29:

The Department of Homeland Security incorrectly reports that Martinsville, Virginia, is a sanctuary city. The City of Martinsville has never made such a declaration. Both the Martinsville Police Department and the Martinsville Sheriff's Office comply with all federal regulations and work together with all state and federal agencies. We are currently attempting to contact officials with the Department of Homeland Security to correct this error on their part. We will also inform them that the Commonwealth of Virginia does not have a Martinsville County. Martinsville

Tazewell County

Tazewell County in Southwestern Virginia posted the following to Facebook on Friday, May 30, where it denied the classification:

TAZEWELL COUNTY SEEKS IMMEDIATE CLARIFICATION FOLLOWING MISCLASSIFICATION ON FEDERAL “SANCTUARY JURISDICTIONS” LIST

Tazewell, Virginia – Tazewell County officials were surprised to find the County inaccurately included on a list of so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions” published under Executive Order 14287. This designation is simply not accurate and does not reflect the County’s approach to public safety or immigration enforcement.

Tazewell County does not have—nor has it ever had—any policy in place that limits or obstructs cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The County operates in full compliance with both state and federal laws and has consistently worked alongside federal partners in the interest of community safety.

“We’re unsure why Tazewell County appeared on this list,” said County Administrator Eric Young. “We are in the process of contacting the appropriate federal offices to request clarification and are asking that this be corrected without delay.”

The County is committed to transparency and open communication. County officials are actively working to engage with the Department of Homeland Security to understand the basis for this designation and to ensure that future updates reflect accurate information about Tazewell County’s policies and practices. Tazewell County

8News has reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to learn how the localities were selected and why the page no longer appears on its website.