ICE agents arrest immigrants at Fairmont Gardens

ICE agents arrested six men outside Fairmont Gardens in Annandale this morning. The men were spotted walking down Little River Turnpike in handcuffs.

The men were waiting for jobs. One was released because he had a work permit, says Nayely Lopez of FACETS and the director of the county-supported Opportunity Neighborhoods-Annandale program. Fairmont Gardens is home to a large number of immigrants, most of whom are from Latin America.

“A lot of people are scared,” Lopez said. Immigrants are staying indoors and keeping their children home from school. She is concerned that families in need won’t show up for the food distribution event at Fairmont Gardens on Feb. 6.

Related story: Immigrant rights groups respond to mass deportation threat

At about 6 a.m. on Feb. 5, a few hours before the raid at Fairmont Gardens, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials’ cars were parked outside the Heritage Human Resources Center at 7611 Little River Turnpike – in front of the building and in the rear parking lot. They didn’t come inside, a security guard says.

The Heritage Center houses several Fairfax County offices, including the Health Department, the Department of Family Services, the WIC food assistance program for women and children, and Neighborhood and Community Services.

The security guard speculates that the presence of ICE discouraged members of the public from entering the building, although there were lines at the county offices several hours later.

Related story: Fairmont Gardens residents worry about crime, drugs, and children’s safety