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Public raises ICE detainer concerns; board says local data will guide any policy change
Summary
Public commenters presented ICE detainer data and urged expanding Prince William County's immigration-notification policy; board members said the county already notifies ICE for serious crimes, noted the spreadsheet suggested a small percentage of unhonored detainers and asked staff for local statistics before considering policy changes.
Several public speakers urged the Prince William County jail board to revive or strengthen notifications to federal immigration authorities after presenting data the speakers said showed many detainers were not honored.
Ben Walters, a Manassas resident, said the facility ranked among the top 25 U.S. facilities for declined detainers and cited "174 times since 2022," according to ICE data he provided to the board. "Many of these are violent felonies," Walters said while urging the board to expand the immigration-notification policy to cover additional misdemeanors and registry-based offenses.
Other commenters, including Zach Murphy and Kenny Loveless, appealed to the board on public-safety grounds and asked officials to use existing tools "to make sure that that cycle stops" of repeat offenders returning to neighborhoods.
Board members responded in measured terms. One member noted the jail already notifies ICE for serious crimes and said the policy adopted by the board in 2020 triggers notification for felonies and many gang-related offenses. That member said a preliminary review of the spreadsheet Walters provided indicated a small percentage of releases might have involved detainers that were not honored (the member calculated figures of about 5.8% and, under a narrower interpretation, 2.9%), and said the board should rely on accurate local data before expanding policy.
"We crafted a policy that balanced the needs of the community," a board member said, arguing local data and context should drive any change.
Why it matters: immigration-notification policy involves trade-offs between community trust, victim reporting and cooperation with federal authorities. Expanding notification would change who receives custody information and could affect cooperation by immigrant communities with local law enforcement.
Board next steps: Chair Chris Webb and the chief said they would gather jail statistics, review the spreadsheet and consider placing the issue on the next board agenda for fuller consideration. Several members asked staff to provide local, case-level data rather than nationwide numbers.
What remains unresolved: The public presented ICE-source spreadsheets and asked for policy expansion. The board did not vote on policy changes; members requested more precise local data and emphasized the need for accurate case descriptions before changing the county's approach.
