ICE arrests people at the Annandale Immigration Court
Four people were arrested by ICE on June 10 inside the immigration court in Annandale.
They had been waiting for their cases to be heard, reports John Cano, a senior organizer with the Legal Aid Justice Center.
The Annandale Immigration Court, located at 7619 Little River Turnpike, is a branch of the U.S. Department of Justice.
As of yesterday, there was no information on whether the individuals taken by ICE had their cases dismissed or where they live. They could be from Annandale or other locations in Virginia, including the Virginia Beach area, Cano said.
“What we’re seeing is that folks are going to their court hearings and doing all the necessary steps to obey the law, and after that, they’re being apprehended,” he said.
Related story: ICE agents arrest immigrants at Fairmont Gardens
People go to an immigration court for various reasons. They could be seeking asylum, for example, or they could be showing up for the first time to have their charges read to them.
“This is something we’re seeing at the national level,” Cano said. “Folks are going to their court hearings in order to win their case or have any type of adjustment in their case, and, unfortunately, ICE agents are arresting them at the court.”
Last week, activists with the New Virginia Majority recorded ICE agents arresting 11 people outside the immigration court in Sterling.
3 responses to “ICE arrests people at the Annandale Immigration Court”
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If immigrants are showing up at court it demonstrates their willingness to work within the system. ICE simply wants an easy opportunity to boost their deportation numbers without due process. This is shameful. We need bipartisan immigration reform. This is not the best path forward.
There aren’t enough facts in this article from which to draw any conclusions. One possible scenario is that the individuals in question were arrested in the courtroom after the government dismissed their cases. Without a case to defend, these individuals were subject to expedited removal. An expedited removal order cannot normally be appealed and carries a five-year reentry bar.
We are living in a dangerous time. Ordinary people are being apprehended off the streets. How long before all dissenters are in prison camps? Shades of 1930’s Germany are appearing in America. God save the USA.