ICE Arrests in Virginia Skyrocket Under Trump’s Second Term, Targeting Mostly Non-Criminals

Immigration enforcement in Virginia has surged dramatically since President Donald Trump’s second inauguration in 2025, with nearly 11,000 arrests recorded through early 2026. This figure dwarfs the 1,595 arrests made during all of 2024, according to an analysis of ICE data obtained by VPM News via the Deportation Data Project’s FOIA-released dataset.

This spike is not just a matter of numbers. The majority of those detained have no prior criminal convictions, underscoring the civil—not criminal—nature of immigration detention. Unlike the criminal justice system, immigration enforcement allows people to be locked up without charges, often for minor infractions or simply for their immigration status.

Legal advocates point to expanded cooperation between federal and local law enforcement through aggressive 287(g) agreements as a key driver. These agreements deputize local officers to enforce federal immigration laws, turning local jails into entry points for ICE detention. Facilities like Caroline Detention Center, Farmville Detention Center, and Riverside Regional Jail Authority (RRJA) have become hubs in this enforcement surge. RRJA alone booked 7,344 people under ICE-related charges from January 2025 to April 2026, a practice that did not exist before Trump’s second term.

The human toll is clear in communities like Richmond, where residents report fear and disruption. Parents and teachers say children are missing school due to detainments, and many avoid calling 911 or running errands out of fear of ICE raids. Over 3,000 arrests are linked to the Richmond ICE field office in Chesterfield County alone.

Nationally, the Trump administration has justified these crackdowns by claiming they target violent criminals. But federal data tells a different story: roughly 70% of people in ICE detention nationwide—and in Virginia—have no criminal convictions. At Caroline Detention Center, 216 of 331 daily detainees had no ICE threat level, and at Farmville, 469 of 685 did not have prior convictions.

The consequences for those caught in this system vary widely. Some are released on bond, others languish in detention for months, and many face deportation or coerced "self-deportation."

Virginia is poised for change. New state laws effective July 1 will sharply restrict 287(g) agreements and limit cooperation with ICE. These reforms could significantly reduce the pipeline funneling Virginians into ICE custody, but the current data reveals the harsh reality of immigration enforcement under Trump’s renewed assault on immigrant communities.

This surge in enforcement is a stark illustration of the administration’s broader authoritarian tactics: weaponizing civil detention, expanding local-federal policing partnerships, and targeting vulnerable populations without due process. We will keep tracking these abuses and demand accountability for the human cost of these policies.