U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement, or ICE, is reportedly on the ground in Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Augusta County and Harrisonburg. The men, claiming to be with the Department of Homeland Security, have been filmed wearing plain clothes, masks and often in unmarked vehicles.
This week, two individuals were handcuffed and taken away at the Albemarle County Courthouse, one who had his case dismissed; another who was allegedly there to pay a fine.
Two women showed up to ensure there was a valid warrant for the arrests, and other bystanders recorded the confrontation. Instead of producing the lawful documents, the ICE agents warned them not impede the work of federal officers and threatened to call the U.S. Attorney to report an assault on a federal officer. While one agent was being blocked from the man they were there for, he shouted to another officer to “grab him.”
When requested, the agents did not show a badge. They did not show a warrant or a document signed by a judge.
The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution states that government officials need a valid warrant; the Fifth Amendment guarantees all persons due process of law. In this new war on immigrants at the direction of President Donald Trump, it appears that constitutional rights and due process could be a thing of the past.
Sheriff: Arrests mischaracterized as a ‘raid’
Since the two individuals were taken from the courthouse, the Albemarle County sheriff put out a statement saying it appears the agents did display a badge when they went through a courthouse-security screening.
Sheriff Chan Bryant said the federal officers presenting credentials and paperwork for the arrests and said that characterizing the arrests as a “raid” of the courthouse is inaccurate.
“These individuals were identified by the federal agents and taken into custody with paperwork in hand for them,” Bryant said. “Which would be the same practice whether it be Albemarle or Charlottesville police, state agencies or federal agencies.”
He referred questions about immigration enforcement to ICE.
Commonwealth’s Attorney: Actions ‘grave danger to our community’
Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Hingeley said his investigation seems to confirm what Bryant asserted about credentials. However, he said, further actions like this would “constitute a grave danger to our community.”
“I am grateful that no one was hurt in this operation, but I am also greatly concerned that arrests carried out in this manner could escalate into a violent confrontation, because the person being arrested or bystanders might resist what appears on its face to be an unlawful assault and abduction,” said Hingeley.
“Further actions like the courthouse arrests yesterday would constitute a grave danger to our community.”
If the officers presented legal documents to courthouse security, they were certainly in no mood to do the same for the civilians who tried to protect the rights of the individuals who were detained and put in an unmarked van, according to eyewitnesses.
Approximately 10 percent of Albemarle County’s residents were born outside the United States. The county is home to many immigrant communities: Latino, Hispanic, Ukrainian, Afghan and Venezuelan, to name a few.
When Trump’s administration began cracking down on deportation efforts immediately after his inauguration, there was fear in immigrant communities. Adults were staying away from work; parents were afraid to send their children to school or after-school activities.
The fear has grown in the three months since Trump took office, as immigrants with no criminal records have been picked up, or worse, sent to other countries, without due process. In some cases, families claim their loved ones have been “disappeared” or “kidnapped” – with no communication on where they are now.
Community in shock
Albemarle County Police Chief Sean Reeves told AFP in a recent interview that “there are legitimate concerns” among people in the area on visas that don’t know where they stand with this new target on immigrants in the U.S., legally or illegally.
Reeves said he is concerned that fear may lead minor offenses like traffic violations to escalate as immigrants worry that any crime could lead to their deportation. He also worries that victims may not report criminal acts because they don’t want to bring attention to themselves or their families.
“The best way that we know how to navigate some of that is continue having authentic and transparent conversations with these community groups, and let them know that we are local law enforcement, not ICE,” Reeves said.
Situations like what happened at the Albemarle County Courthouse, no matter what you call it – raid, roundup, enforcement – does little to quell the fears of immigrants and those looking out for their rights.
The community is in shock.
Hundreds of people showed up to Court Square in front of the courthouse to protest the arrests with signs reading “no human being is illegal,” “due process” and “honk if you hate ICE.”
Former Charlottesville Mayor Kay Slaughter showed up to protest the arrests.
“They’ve got to have due process before just seizing people and carrying them away,” Slaughter told The Daily Progress.
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Crystal Graham
