Virginia ICE Arrests Surge Amid Trump Crackdowns, 4,264 in 2025

First, identified linkable resources in order of appearance:
1. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (uscis_resource) — already has a link at the end of the article to https://www.ice.gov/ (preserve existing links)
2. Virginia Homeland Security Task Force (VHSTF) (policy)
3. 287(g) agreements with ICE (policy)
4. Executive Order 47 (policy)
5. Operation FREE (policy)

Now the article with ONLY government .gov links added (maximum 5), linking only the first mention of each resource in the article body text, preserving all content and existing links exactly otherwise:

(VIRGINIA) Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity has surged across Virginia in 2025, with ICE arrests reaching record levels and Fairfax County emerging as the state’s hotspot for enforcement. From January through July, ICE made 4,264 arrests in Virginia, nearly tripling the combined total for the same months in each of the previous four years, according to case-level enforcement data from academic researchers.

Officials say the spike reflects tougher interior enforcement under President Trump and deeper coordination between federal and state agencies. Advocates, meanwhile, report growing fear in communities as arrests of people with no criminal record climb.

Where the numbers place Virginia

The rise in ICE arrests places Virginia among the top ten states nationally for immigration arrests per capita in 2025. Fairfax County—home to one of the largest immigrant populations in the state—has seen about twice as many arrests as any other Virginia county, with activity concentrated around the Washington, DC region.

• In June alone, nationwide ICE arrests hit 30,000, the highest monthly total since 2012.
• While daily arrests eased slightly by late July, they remain far above recent years.

Officials attribute the change to new operational targets. The Trump administration has tripled ICE’s daily arrest goal from 1,000 to 3,000, a shift enforcement leaders say allows agents to cast a wider net. That policy coincided with a sharp growth in noncriminal cases.

Important: In early June, 60% of ICE arrests in Virginia and DC involved people with no criminal convictions or pending charges, up from 29% in January. Nationwide, the share rose from 21% in May to nearly 50% in June.

These numbers point to a marked shift away from a primary focus on people with criminal histories.

State-level actions and the VHSTF

State-level actions in 2025 also reshaped the enforcement landscape.

• February 25: Governor Glenn Youngkin launched the Virginia Homeland Security Task Force (VHSTF) as a federal-state partnership targeting organized crime, gang activity, and immigration violations.
• By July 1, state officials said the task force had surpassed 2,512 arrests of “violent criminals.”
• Two days after VHSTF began, Executive Order 47 directed the Virginia State Police and Department of Corrections to sign 287(g) agreements with ICE.

These 287(g) agreements:

• Allow trained state officers to perform certain federal immigration functions under ICE oversight.
• Enable state officers to check immigration status, issue detainers under ICE supervision, and help process cases in local jails.

State leaders say ICE approved the agreements within 20 hours, and joint operations accelerated.

Courthouse arrests and community impact

Courthouse arrests have emerged as a flashpoint.

• CASA, an immigrant advocacy organization, reports an uptick in arrests outside courthouses and as people arrive for hearings.
• Advocates warn this practice drives people away from the justice system, even when they are witnesses or victims.

Immigration lawyer Ava Benach notes Northern Virginia’s proximity to Washington makes the region especially visible to federal agencies. UCLA political scientist Graeme Blair highlights data showing most recent arrests are not tied to criminal activity, which undercuts claims enforcement is focused mainly on violent offenders.

Quantitative picture and national context

• Virginia’s arrest rate equals about 490 ICE arrests per 100,000 immigrants (documented and undocumented) across the first seven months of 2025.
• Nationally, more than 142,000 arrests occurred from January through July, with a pronounced peak in June.
• As of July 27, ICE held 56,945 people in detention, and by revised definitions, 71.1% reportedly had no criminal record.

Alternatives-to-Detention (ATD) program in the DC region:

• Expanded sharply: 2,339 people monitored by ankle devices as of July 26, up from 795 in May.
• Overall enrollment in that program fell elsewhere.

Fairfax County remains the focal point for ICE arrests in Virginia. Local service providers describe residents changing daily routines—avoiding public transit hubs, skipping medical appointments, and keeping children home from activities—because of fear that plainclothes officers could be waiting outside.

• CASA and other groups describe a chilling effect on public life and on access to legal help.
• Lawyers warn this harms due process by discouraging attendance at hearings.

Policy drivers and operational details

Virginia’s enforcement spike sits at the intersection of federal targets and state cooperation.

• The tripled arrest quota combined with 287(g) authority enables expanded state participation in immigration enforcement.
• The VHSTF coordinates raids and intelligence-led operations across agencies, with U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert leading federal participation.
• Governor Youngkin has defended courthouse arrests and praised the task force’s “success,” asserting operations focus on violent criminals and organized crime, including anti-fentanyl work under Operation FREE, which is set for another phase in October 2025.

However, data and legal-aid providers raise concerns:

• Researchers report the majority of recent Virginia arrests, especially in June, involve people with no criminal convictions.
• The swing toward noncriminal cases strains families and clogs immigration courts, where many people qualify for relief but lack lawyers.
• Enforcement around courthouses and shelters discourages victims from seeking help.

Practical consequences described by providers:

• Parents are afraid to drop children at school.
• Clinics report rising missed appointments.
• Faith leaders worry about potential expansion of enforcement near churches (no formal policy change announced).
• Mixed-status families can lose breadwinners to detention, unraveling years of stability.

Legal and practical considerations

From a legal standpoint:

• Enforcement against people with clean records can be lawful if the person lacks status or has violated immigration terms.
• Many cases turn on paperwork, deadlines, or asylum procedures that people do not fully understand.

Advocates argue that:

• Sudden arrests outside courtrooms or homes deprive people of the chance to consult counsel.
• Fast “detain-and-transfer” moves to distant facilities make it harder for lawyers to find clients and for families to locate them.
• Those practices can shape case outcomes as much as the law itself.

On the ground, families are advised to take practical steps to lower risk:

1. Keep copies of identity and immigration documents.
2. Save the phone number of a trusted lawyer.
3. Prepare a family plan naming a guardian for children if a parent is detained.
4. Talk with a lawyer about safe arrival plans for court appearances (including checking entrances and timing).

None of these steps guarantees safety, but they can help families make quick decisions in stressful moments.

Local government responses and variation

• Some police chiefs stress they do not ask about immigration status during routine patrols to maintain trust for crime reporting.
• Others point to 287(g) responsibilities and jail-based screening.

This variation across jurisdictions can confuse residents who travel across county lines for work or school. Clear public statements by local agencies—about what they do and do not do—can reduce fear, even during intense federal operations.

Broader data context and outlook

Federal and research data sources show:

• TRAC documents rising detention and the changing shares of noncriminal arrests.
• VisaVerge.com analysis links higher arrest targets, new 287(g) agreements, and courthouse activity to Virginia’s move from a historically lower-enforcement state to a 2025 outlier in per capita arrests.

Looking ahead:

• Operation FREE’s next phase in October could keep pressure high in the DC region and Fairfax County.
• Advocates continue to press for limits on courthouse arrests, while state officials highlight multi-agency wins against fentanyl rings and traffickers.
• If the share of noncriminal arrests remains elevated, expect renewed debate over balancing public safety with the costs to families not accused of crimes.

Resources and help

For official information on ICE processes, see the agency’s Enforcement and Removal Operations page: ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations.

Families seeking community support often turn to:

• Local legal aid groups
• Bar associations
• Immigrant-serving nonprofits

These organizations can explain court dates, prepare documents, and help connect people with licensed attorneys. Even basic steps—keeping phone numbers handy and sharing plans with trusted friends—can reduce harm if an arrest happens.

Key takeaways

• 4,264 arrests statewide through July 2025, a substantial increase from prior years.
• The surge is concentrated in Fairfax County and the Washington, DC region.
• A growing share of people arrested have no criminal record, shifting enforcement patterns.
• The change reflects a mix of federal arrest quotas, state 287(g) agreements, and coordinated task-force activity.
• The human effects are tangible: fear, missed appointments, reduced court participation, and strained families and legal services.

Behind every statistic is a family making difficult day-to-day decisions about work, school, and health care. Policy debates will continue in Richmond and Washington, but the enforcement reality shaped by quotas, state-federal partnerships, and courthouse tactics has already altered life for many Virginians.