Fairfax County Terminates Agreement With ICE On Immigrants

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- Fairfax County has cancelled an Integovernmental Service Agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and will no longer hold undocumented immigrants past their release date unless there is an administrative request from ICE via criminal detainer issued by a court.

Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kinkaid said in a statement that while the county will continue to comply with federal obligations as they pertain to ICE, the "current contract is not necessary for us to do this as evidenced by the fact that the vast majority of localities in the Commonwealth have no contractual arrangement.

"We found it expedient to no longer have an agreement that required us to extend our resources beyond these obligations," the statement adds. "We remain committed to our mission and mandate."

The county has already conveyed this decision to ICE and has issued a formal "Notice of Intent to Terminate" with the Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA). The official termination date will be May 23.

As a result, inmates will be released on their release date -- even if they are undocumented immigrants -- unless ICE provides a court-issued criminal detainer.

The county notes that ICE already has access to fingerprints taken in Fairfax County, which are matched with a database of offenders.

Fairfax County, the largest jurisdiction in Virginia, released a new immigration policy in early 2017 that declared itself a welcoming place for immigrants while stopping short of using the term "sanctuary." The Trump Administration has vowed to target "sanctuary" cities and localities that refuse to fully comply with ICE to deport immigrants.

Image via ICE