A substantial block of public comment at the April 5 Arlington County Board meeting focused on immigration enforcement and the county’s “trust policy,” with multiple speakers urging the board to restrict cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and increase transparency.

Board statement and context: Board Chair Takis Carantonis opened public comment by reading a statement indicating the county board is reviewing the Arlington County trust policy in response to “significant shifts in national immigration enforcement policies” and growing resident concern. The statement said the review is motivated by concerns about due process and constitutional rights and invited residents to speak during public comment.

Public testimony highlights: Dozens of speakers addressed the board. Carla, who identified herself as a migrant and daughter of immigrants, asked the board to “demand an end to all collaboration with ICE in Arlington County, particularly in respect to the trust policy” and criticized Section 7 of the policy as allowing cooperation that could amount to racial profiling. She said a community FOIA request about Arlington County Police Department’s role in detentions was met with an estimated $4,000 fee, which she called excessive and a barrier to transparency.

Professor Nadir Hashemi of Georgetown University spoke about recent arrests of international visitors and scholars, saying those detentions threaten free speech and due process and urging local and national resistance. Other public commenters recounted personal and community harms from ICE actions, urged the county to remove language that enables local police to respond to federal immigration arrest requests, and called for more transparency and lower FOIA costs.

Board response: Chair Carantonis acknowledged the volume of community concern and said the board is reviewing the trust policy. He said staff will look at the FOIA cost issue and noted there are legal rules about fees and records production. The board did not take formal action on the trust policy at the meeting but reiterated that the review is underway and that more details would be shared in the coming weeks.

Why it matters: The comments came amid renewed national debate over immigration enforcement and localities’ roles. Arlington’s trust policy has language that some residents say allows local law enforcement to participate in certain enforcement activities that community advocates oppose. The issue touches local trust, policing practices, FOIA transparency and county legal constraints.

Ending: The board’s stated next step is to continue its internal review of the trust policy and to assess the FOIA questions raised by residents. No ordinance change or vote was taken at this meeting; advocates said they will return with additional testimony as the review proceeds.