immigration | ALXnow

Housing Alexandria residents advised to stay indoors as ICE reports arrests in city, region

Published August 27, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated August 27, 2026 at 4:53PM

Police car lights (file photo)

As a number of undocumented immigrants have been arrested in Alexandria this month, nonprofit affordable housing developer Housing Alexandria recently advised its residents to stay indoors due to ICE activity.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, on Wednesday (Aug. 26), announced 1,328 “illegal alien offenders” were arrested throughout Virginia and Maryland between Aug. 1 and Aug. 14. Those arrested as part of ICE’s Operation Safe Community include at least four people in Alexandria. ICE said of the 1,328, nearly 400 had faced charges or been convicted.

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Mayor says Flock camera data not shared with ICE amid recent enforcement in Alexandria

By Emily Leayman

Published August 12, 2026 at 3:45PM

A Flock Safety license plate reader is seen along a public road, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in Houston. (David Goldman/Associated Press file)

As recent ICE activity spurred concerns about ICE utilizing Flock cameras, Alexandria’s mayor is saying the city’s camera data is not shared with federal immigration officers.

The immigrant advocacy group ICE Out of Alexandria had called on City Council to ban automatic license plate readers like Flock cameras over the concern of ICE using them for surveillance of immigrants. That came after the group reported ICE’s apparent detainment of four residents on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 8 at the Eaton Square apartment complex and two more at 7/11 on W. Glebe Road in Arlandria on the morning of Monday, Aug. 10.

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Gun restrictions, paid leave and foam container ban: Virginia bills taking effect on July 1

By Emily Leayman

Published June 30, 2026 at 1:45PM | Updated July 1, 2026 at 10:20AM

Del. Charniele Herring at her campaign kickoff at Clyde's at 1700 N. Beauregard Street on April 3, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Over 1,100 bills made it out of the latest General Assembly session, and many will take effect Wednesday (July 1).

As Democrats gained a trifecta with the election of Gov. Abigail Spanberger and control of the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates, legislators’ bills focused on priorities like immigration enforcement, gun control, housing and tenant protections, reproductive rights and more. Democrats also passed Virginia’s first-ever paid sick leave, paid family and medical leave, and child care assistance programs for workers.

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‘Faith in Housing’ bill on by-right affordable housing will require new ordinance in Alexandria

By Emily Leayman

Published May 18, 2026 at 3:45PM

Virginia State Capitol in Richmond (staff photo)

A bill allowing church-based by-right housing development and several other laws passed during the 2026 Virginia General Assembly will require or allow local action, according to a presentation to Alexandria City Council last week (May 12).

Wendy Ginsberg, the city’s legislative director, provided an update on key bills the city has been tracking or will be impacted by during City Council’s May 12 meeting. Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, which means localities can only use authority granted through state law.

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Memorial at Alexandria church pays tribute to people who died in ICE custody

By Emily Leayman

Published May 14, 2026 at 9:15AM

The ICE custody death memorial at Fairlington Presbyterian Church (via Fairlington Presbyterian Church/Facebook)

Fairlington Presbyterian Church has created a memorial on its front lawn to remember people who have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since 2025.

The church, located at 3846 King Street in the West End, dedicated the memorial Sunday (May 10). The memorial features posts representing each of 32 people who died in ICE custody from January 2025 to early January 2026. Another 18 names of people who died in ICE custody leading up to May 2026 are included in a brochure being distributed at the memorial. Some official causes of death are pending or disputed.

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Spanberger signs Alexandria legislators’ bills on guns, immigration, national popular vote

By Emily Leayman

Published April 14, 2026 at 12:30PM | Updated April 14, 2026 at 1:43PM

(Left to right) Virginia House Majority Leader Del. Charniele Herring (D-4th), State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-39th) and Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-3rd) at the Alexandria Democratic Committee's Labor Day Picnic at The Garden Alexandria, 5380 Eisenhower Avenue, Sept. 1, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Numerous pieces of legislation from Alexandria lawmakers are officially set to become law or are heading back to the General Assembly with amendments after action by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D).

Among the approximately 1,200 bills passed out of the 2026 session, legislation on guns, housing, the national popular vote, energy and immigration enforcement all came by way of state senators and delegates representing Alexandria. Most signed bills will take effect on July 1, 2026, unless otherwise specified.

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Independent candidate Alison O’Connell turning in signatures to join City Council special election

By James Cullum

Published February 27, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated February 27, 2026 at 4:53PM

Alison O'Connell (courtesy photo)

With today’s 5 p.m. deadline fast approaching, Alison O’Connell is working to submit 125 signatures needed to file an independent candidacy to run for Alexandria City Council.

O’Connell, a founding member of Alexandria for Palestinian Human Rights, is hoping to run for City Council with platform issues that include affordable housing, ethical investment and anti-immigration enforcement measures. She and her team have been collecting signatures and turning them in throughout the day to the city’s registrar’s office, she told ALXnow this afternoon (Friday).

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ACPS board member Booz visits Minneapolis to create ICE response resources for schools

By James Cullum

Published February 20, 2026 at 12:00PM | Updated February 20, 2026 at 4:59PM

Alexandria School Board Member Kelly Carmichael Booz in Minneapolis, Minnesota (courtesy image)

Alexandria City School Board member Kelly Carmichael Booz visited Minnesota last week as part of a project to inform educators on how to respond to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.

Booz, who is from Minneapolis, visited the Twin Cities from Feb. 9-13, in the wake of the fatal ICE shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good and the widely reported drawdown of ICE agents there. Her project, a report for the American Federation of Teachers, aims to offer “resources and trainings” for school districts and unions on what to do when ICE enters their communities, she told ALXnow.

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Proposals to limit ICE activity and more Alexandria-supported bills advance in General Assembly

By Emily Leayman

Published February 11, 2026 at 2:30PM

Wendy Ginsberg, the City of Alexandria's legislative director, provided a mid-session General Assembly update to City Council (via City of Alexandria)

As the General Assembly reaches mid-session, the City of Alexandria is supporting nearly 400 proposed bills, including restrictions on immigration enforcement.

Wendy Ginsberg, the city’s legislative director, provided a mid-session General Assembly update to City Council yesterday (Tuesday). According to Ginsberg, city staff have reviewed 584 bills for potential impacts to the city. During the presentation, Councilman Abdel Elnoubi requested an update on the immigration enforcement-related bills, which Ginsberg said are continuing to make progress.

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JUST IN: Hundreds of ACHS students stage walkout against ICE

By James Cullum

Published February 6, 2026 at 4:20PM

Students participating in a walkout Feb. 6, 2026 (courtesy Rosemary Pereira-Kyle)

Around 250 to 300 students walked out of both campuses of Alexandria City High School today (Friday) to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The student-led walkout lasted from around 2:15 to 2:45 p.m., according to ACPS. The event happened less than a month after hundreds of people gathered at Four Mile Run Park Plaza to protest ICE, after an officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.

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Old Town protestors rally against Citizens Bank for dealings with ICE detention center contractor

By James Cullum

Published February 6, 2026 at 3:30PM

A protest outside Citizens Bank in Old Town, Feb. 6, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Cries of “shame” rang out this afternoon (Friday) outside Citizens Bank near the King Street-Old Town Metro Station, as dozens of protestors rebuked the bank’s ties to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

The group made speeches, sang songs and held signs condemning the bank for extending a $500 million line of credit to The GEO Group, a Florida-based international private prison operator that has more than $700 million in contract obligations with ICE.