Federal agents returned to Alexandria’s Chirilagua neighborhood Tuesday morning and arrested an individual at a bus stop, one day after detaining 15 construction workers in the same area.
Video provided to ALXnow shows approximately six agents, some masked and some not, with “Police Federal Agent” markings arresting an individual at the DASH bus stop at W. Glebe Road and Florence Drive, near the Eaton Square apartments where the construction workers were taken into custody Monday afternoon.
The identity of the individual arrested Tuesday, the reason for the arrest and their current location are unknown.
The Tuesday morning arrest occurred in the same Chirilagua neighborhood that saw an evening community rally Monday where city officials and residents denounced federal immigration enforcement actions.
On Monday, federal immigration agents arrested 15 construction workers at Eaton Square Apartments while they were working on a roofing project, according to Evelin Urrutia, executive director of Tenants and Workers United. The timing coincided with the first day of school in Alexandria, heightening community concerns about children’s safety.
Community leaders advised residents to know their rights during immigration enforcement. The Immigration Legal Resource Center provides resources stating that “all people in the United States, regardless of immigration status, have certain rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution,” including the right not to open doors to agents and the right to remain silent.
The Monday arrests prompted a rally where Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley and City Council member Abdel Elnoubi attended and condemned the federal enforcement action.
“The men who were taken today, who were kidnapped today, they were not strangers. They are our neighbors. They are someone’s parent. They are someone’s son, someone’s brother, cousin, friend,” Gaskins said Monday evening.
City Councilman Canek Aguirre released a statement calling Monday’s enforcement action an example of an “authoritarian regime hell bent on terrorizing communities.”
Councilman R. Kirk McPike shared on X Monday night: “Arresting people putting in a hard day’s work to keep their families housed and fed does not make our community safer. It spreads terror through neighborhoods across Alexandria. These fascistic ICE raids must stop, and those responsible for them must be held accountable.”
Community leaders had criticized the timing of Monday’s arrests, which occurred as families were preparing to pick up children on the first day of school. Volunteers monitored the area during the school day, and some community members reported seeing ICE agents near an elementary school, though this could not be confirmed.
Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt sent a message to the school community Tuesday, stating that “while ICE agents currently may be active in the City of Alexandria, ICE agents have thus far not visited any ACPS campuses during this school year.”
The message continued: “We want to take this opportunity to remind families that all of our students and families are welcome in ACPS. Our schools will continue to be inclusive spaces where students can learn, staff can work and families can engage.”
The Chirilagua neighborhood, located in Alexandria’s Arlandria area, has a significant Latino population and a long history of welcoming immigrants.
ALXnow has reached out to Tenants and Workers United, the Alexandria Police Department, the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment.
In response to ALXnow’s request, Mayor Gaskins said by text, “This is the first I’m hearing of an incident this morning. Will update once I know more.”
In a statement to ALXnow on Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson for Alexandria Police Department shared, “The Alexandria Police Department is not involved in federal immigration enforcement, nor does the police department receive notification of Federal ICE enforcement”.
Amy Bertsch, Public Information Officer for the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office, shared with ALXnow on Monday night, “As Sheriff Casey’s previous statement indicates, the Sheriff’s Office does not participate in any immigration enforcement in our community.” When asked for comment on Monday’s enforcement action, Bertsch said the Sheriff’s Office had “no comment on today’s enforcement” but directed ALXnow to use Casey’s previous statement.
On Aug. 13, the Sheriff’s Office published a statement on immigration concerns stating: “I want to reassure everyone that the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office does not and will not participate in any type of immigration enforcement in our community.”
The statement continues: “The Alexandria Adult Detention Center will never be used to house individuals arrested by ICE during their enforcement of immigration laws. Additionally, we will never use any taxpayer funds or accept any funding for immigration enforcement activities.”
However, the Sheriff’s Office website also notes that Virginia law requires all sheriffs to determine the citizenship of individuals arrested on felony charges and share this information with ICE. The office transfers custody of inmates to ICE on their scheduled release date when ICE has filed a lawful warrant and detainer.
According to data published by the Sheriff’s Office, 35 inmates have been transferred to ICE as of mid-July 2025, compared to 43 in all of 2024.
This story is developing.
