‘Unprecedented’: ICE arrests more than 4,000 across Virginia in just 6 months

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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Immigration attorneys say Virginia has seen an unprecedented rise in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity over the past six months.

Data the Deportation Data Project obtained from the federal government shows ICE agents have made at least 4,179 arrests across Virginia since January -- more than five times the number of arrests made during the same time period in 2024.

“We’ve never seen this level of people being picked up by ICE — detained at courthouses, detained during routine immigration enforcement,” said Charles Schmidt, president of the Richmond Community Legal Fund.

He said the role of an immigration attorney has taken on new urgency since the Trump administration's second term began.

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Schmidt said agents have become “more efficient” in how they carry out enforcement actions, often using unmarked cars, wearing face masks and working alongside agencies like the FBI and state police. The attorney called this "unprecedented."

The data also shows that 57% of those arrested are not facing criminal charges.

"That statistic is shocking, but not surprising,” he said.

Schmidt pointed out that many immigrants are detained during routine check-ins, despite following legal requirements.

“If you’ve been granted asylum, if you’re here on a work visa, or you’re awaiting your case — many people have to do periodic check-ins,” he said. “What we’ve seen is when people go to check in -- when people go and do the right thing ... then they’re punished.”

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On Thursday, the Trump administration announced it is reviewing more than 55 million valid U.S. visas for possible violations, which could also lead to deportation.

"That is a due process violation right there," Schmidt said. "You know, not having sort of an arbitrary standard for saying, 'We're going to review these people' and 'we don't like you.'"

To read more about the data in this story, click here.

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