Report Exposes Dangerous Sanctuary Policies Shielding Criminal Aliens in Arlington County

A new interim staff report from the House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement reveals the extent of Arlington County's sanctuary policies and their impact on law enforcement.

The document titled Arlington County, Virginia: The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies outlines how local officials have obstructed federal immigration enforcement for years. It draws on nonpublic documents, data, and testimony to show preferential treatment for criminal aliens.

Arlington County's Trust Policy, updated in May 2025, restricts police and sheriff cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. From January 2025 through May 2026, the Arlington County Sheriff's Office received 310 ICE detainers but honored only two, both requiring judicial warrants.

Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti has implemented policies that consider immigration status in charging decisions. Her office is not explicitly prohibited from factoring in a defendant's immigration status for any crime, including assault, domestic violence, and cases involving child victims.

Dehghani-Tafti testified that her office fashions resolutions or shifts to lateral charges for DACA recipients facing DWI to avoid deportation consequences. This approach ensures certain foreign nationals avoid convictions that U.S. citizens would face under similar circumstances.

The report criticizes Dehghani-Tafti for opposing the Laken Riley Act and claiming Laken Riley's murder had nothing to do with immigration, despite the perpetrator being an illegal alien released in sanctuary jurisdictions.

These practices create unequal treatment under the law, where criminal aliens receive protections unavailable to American citizens. The policies have led to releases of individuals with prior criminal histories back into communities.

Examples include a twice-deported illegal alien released in July 2025 after an assault conviction and another with a long record arrested in April 2026 for assaulting a woman. Both cases highlight risks from limited cooperation with federal authorities.

The report argues that sanctuary policies in Democrat-led areas like Arlington endanger public safety by allowing criminal aliens to remain after local encounters. It calls for accountability to restore equal application of the law.

Email the Arlington County School Board:
Miranda Turner, miranda.turner@apsva.us,
Kathleen Clark, kathleen.clark2@apsva.us,
Monique Bryant, monique.bryant@apsva.us,
Zuraya Tapia-Hadley, zuraya.tapiahadley@apsva.us,
Bethany Zecher Sutton, bethany.zechersutton@apsva.us,

Email the Arlington County Board of Sueprvisors:
Matt de Ferranti, mdeferranti@arlingtonva.us,
Maureen Coffey, mcoffey@arlingtonva.us,
Susan Cunningham, scunningham@arlingtonva.us,
Julius D. “JD” Spain, Sr., jdspainsr@arlingtonva.us,
Takis P. Karantonis, tkarantonis@arlingtonva.us,

Email the Arlington County Sheriff:
Jose Quiroz, sheriff@arlingtonva.us,

Email Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at:

Parisa Dehghani-Tafti: CWA_info@arlingtonva.us