Avula says he has heard no ‘validated’ reports of increased ICE presence in Richmond
Despite rumors circulating on social media, Mayor Danny Avula said Monday his office has not had any “validated” reports that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are currently conducting operations in Richmond.
“I’ve heard a lot of concerns that when police are showing up, doing their day-to-day job, that’s being misconstrued as ICE,” said Avula, speaking after an economic development announcement. “But we’ll continue to look into it and make sure that people know when we actually do have a confirmation of ICE presence on the ground.”
The mayor also vowed that “Richmond police officers will not be doing the work of deportation,” a stance that aligns with a statement made by Police Chief Rick Edwards this December that “folks who have concerns about their immigration status will have no issues with the Richmond Police Department.”
On Tuesday evening, Richmond Police Department spokesman James Mercante said RPD “is not aware of any planned operations in Richmond by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.”
An email to ICE’s Washington, D.C. field office, which oversees Virginia operations, was not returned by the time of publication.
While Virginia law does allow local law enforcement officers to arrest undocumented immigrants without a warrant, they can only do so if the individual has previously been convicted of a felony and is suspected of committing a crime.
Fears among immigrant communities have been high since President Donald Trump assumed office last week and rolled back policies prohibiting immigration-related arrests from occurring in “sensitive” or “protected” areas like churches and schools as part of a broader agenda to crack down on immigration.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” said a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, in a Jan. 21 statement.
A Friday report from Chicago Public Schools that ICE agents had tried to gain access to a heavily Latino elementary school in that city turned out to be false: The agents were actually from the Secret Service, investigating a threat related to the TikTok ban, a spokesperson said.
But statements and statistics released by ICE make it clear the agency is stepping up its enforcement activity, reporting 956 arrests on Sunday, 1,179 on Monday and 969 on Tuesday. In comparison, last year the agency carried out 113,431 administrative arrests, which equates to a daily average of roughly 310. Data analyzed by CBS News Chicago determined that average daily arrests peaked at about 467 under Biden in 2023, and at about 434 under Trump in 2018.
In his regular Monday morning newsletter, Richmond Superintendent Jason Kamras pledged that Richmond Public Schools would “always be a safe haven” for students from immigrant families and directed parents to the division’s Immigrant Resource Hub.
“No matter who you are, where you come from, or how you define yourself, we will always do everything we can to ensure that you are safe and protected on school grounds,” said Kamras. “So please don't fear coming to school because you fear being taken away. Please, continue coming every single day. We desperately want to see you!”
Kamras further said that RPS does not ask about students’ immigration status and that while law enforcement will continue to be welcome on school grounds “to the extent that it enhances the safety and well-being of our students and staff,” the division’s stance will change if law enforcement’s intentions do.
Trump’s administration, however, has signaled it’s willing to take a hard line against local officials who go against the president’s deportation efforts. In a memo to Justice Department employees reported by the Washington Post last week, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove wrote that “state and local actors” are required “to comply with the Executive Branch’s immigration enforcement initiatives” and said those who do not could be subject to prosecution.
