ICE detains 13 public defender clients at Richmond jail since December, attorney says
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have detained 13 clients of the Richmond public defender’s office at Richmond City Justice Center since December 2025, according to a public defender.
As reported first by The Richmond Times-Dispatch, attorney Adam Howard said that 13 public defender clients have been detained by ICE agents immediately before or after their release from the custody of Richmond Sheriff Antionette Irving at the jail between Dec. 22, 2025 and March 23.
Howard declined to provide names or specify how many arrests took place while individuals were still in custody at the nearby jail.
"All were on jail property and immediately before or after their release from the jail," Howard said in a statement.
ALL COVERAGE: Immigration enforcement in Central Virginia
According to Howard, one client was taken into ICE custody during their first meeting with probation.
"This period has marked a significant increase in ICE enforcement at the Richmond City Jail," Howard said.
8News has asked Howard about the timeline of the detainments.
The activity comes as the Richmond City Justice Center has faced heightened scrutiny in recent years.
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Irving, who was re-elected by voters in the Democratic Primary last year, has drawn criticism following a string of inmate deaths. One inmate died in June 2025, and another in December 2025.
In June 2025, 8News previously reported that there were 13 sheriff's offices throughout Virginia that had signed agreements with ICE to aid in immigration enforcement. The Richmond City Sheriff's Office was not listed among them.
The backlash at the Richmond jail also aligns with immigration enforcement trends across Virginia over the last year.
Data from TRAC Immigration shows that at least hundreds of people are being held in ICE custody at detention facilities in Farmville and Caroline County.
In December 2025, 8News reported that, between President Donald Trump’s inauguration and Oct. 15, 2025, a total of 6,610 people had been arrested by ICE agents in the state of Virginia. This puts Virginia in 6th-place nationally when it comes to ICE arrests.
Virginia State Police reportedly helped federal immigration agents in apprehending nearly 200 people between February 2025 and February 2026 under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin's (R) directive, when Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) ended the 287(g) agreements.
8News has reached out to Irving, her spokesperson and the ICE regional spokesperson for comment on this matter, but has not yet heard back.
