immigration | ALXnow

Alexandria Superintendent clarifies ACPS’ immigration stance

Published February 11, 2025 at 4:05PM

ACPS Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt delivers her fiscal year 2026 Combined Funds Budget to the Alexandria School Board, Jan. 23, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt made a small clarifying addendum to a message released last month about how the school division handles immigration concerns.

Last month, Kay-Wyatt sent a letter to community members saying all children have a right to attend ACPS schools regardless of the immigration status of the students or their families. Kay-Wyatt also noted, though, that ACPS “is obligated to comply with all lawful orders and warrants from any law enforcement entity, including ICE.”

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Mayor says Alexandria law enforcement won’t help ICE conduct immigration raids

By James Cullum

Published January 29, 2025 at 11:45AM | Updated January 29, 2025 at 12:10PM

Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins speaks after taking the oath of office, Jan. 2, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins says that recent immigration enforcement raids in nearby jurisdictions have resulted in “fear, confusion, and concern,” and that the city won’t assist federal investigators.

In a statement posted on the city website today, the Democrat mayor said that Alexandria will always be a welcoming community where “all residents are supported, respected, and valued.”

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Alexandria Superintendent spells out ways ACPS can and can’t protect students from ICE

By Vernon Miles

Published January 28, 2025 at 11:40AM | Updated February 11, 2025 at 4:02PM

ACPS Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt delivers her fiscal year 2026 Combined Funds Budget to the Alexandria School Board, Jan. 23, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

With President Donald Trump removing restrictions preventing Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from raiding schools, Alexandria Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt laid out the ways Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) are protected from ICE but also exceptions families should be aware of.

The message comes after a full-throated rebuke of ICE activities at school to the fullest extent allowable by law by Fairfax County Public Schools leadership. Kay-Wyatt’s message similarly noted that the schools can help shield children to an extent, but reaffirmed that ACPS “is obligated to comply with all lawful orders and warrants from any law enforcement entity, including ICE.

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Alexandria needs political diversity on City Council, says lone Republican candidate

By James Cullum

Published May 20, 2024 at 3:30PM | Updated May 22, 2024 at 1:29AM

Republican City Council candidate Celianna Gunderson (courtesy photo)

Can Republican Celianna Gunderson shake up the Alexandria City Council with a win this November?

While she’s still learning the issues, Gunderson says that she would not have voted to approve a recent 2.5-cent tax increase.

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Alexandria City Council wants to incentivize locals and businesses to get private security cameras

By James Cullum

Published April 27, 2023 at 3:45PM | Updated April 27, 2023 at 4:11PM

Alexandria City Hall sign (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Personal security cameras, speed cameras in school zones, summer youth employment programs and eviction prevention funding are just a few of the final additions included in the fiscal year 2024 budget by the Alexandria City Council on Tuesday.

Council approved funding a $20,000 program to encourage businesses and homeowners with a “small incentive” to set up security cameras to deter crime, as well as increase their coordination with the Alexandria Police Department.

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Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published September 1, 2021 at 5:00AM

Alexandria could receive refugees from Afghanistan — “Currently, it is believed that many of the Afghan evacuees will settle in the U.S., including Alexandria, under Special Immigrant Visas, which are given to Iraqi or Afghan nationals who have been employed by the U.S. Armed Forces as a translator or interpreter, or has been employed by a contractor of the United States government overseas. SIVs are eligible for the same resettlement benefits as refugees for up to eight months after arrival. They arrive with legal permanent resident status and can apply for citizenship after five years.” [City of Alexandria]

Bishop Ireton grad chosen for Visa Black Scholar and Jobs Program — “Luke Pilot, an Alexandria resident who attended Bishop Ireton High School, is one of the 50 students selected for the program. Pilot is attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.” [Patch]

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Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published January 21, 2021 at 9:00AM

Photos: Beyer Attends Presidential Inauguration — “It was a thrill for Megan and me to be at the inauguration of Pres. @JoeBiden and Vice Pres. @KamalaHarris.” [Twitter]

Former Beyer Chief Of Staff To Begin Job In Biden Administration — “(Tanya) Bradsher will take on the new role as the senior director for partnerships and global engagement. Previously, she served as the National Security Agency lead for the Biden-Harris Transition Team.” [Patch]

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Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published February 11, 2020 at 8:10AM | Updated February 11, 2020 at 8:55AM

Alexandria Man Killed in Southern Va. — “A man and a woman from the Washington area were found dead Saturday on a road in a quiet part of southern Virginia, and state police said the two were homicide victims. Ntombo Joel Bianda, 21, of Alexandria, Va., and Ayanna Munne Maertens Griffin, 19, of Germantown, Md., were found at about 2:50 a.m. Saturday.” [Washington Post, WSET]

APD Crosswalk Enforcement in Del Ray — “APD’s Traffic Safety Officers successfully completed a crosswalk enforcement operation in the 400 block of E. Monroe Ave. today. This resulted in 23 citations being issued in 4 hours.” [Twitter]

News

Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published November 13, 2019 at 8:00AM

Propeller on the waterfront (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Wilson Skeptical of ‘National Landing’ Name — “For Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson, the term National Landing was always meant to help streamline the Amazon bid. He joked that he was a resister to the name, adding he still used Potomac Yard because that’s how his constituents know the area. ‘If we talk 10 years from now, will people be calling it National Landing? I don’t know. I doubt it,’ Wilson said.” [Washington Business Journal]

VT Grad Students Helping Plan Alexandria Campus — “Fresh off of four years in Blacksburg earning a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering at Virginia Tech, Logan Eisenbeiser moved to Northern Virginia last year to pursue his master of computer engineering at the university’s Falls Church campus. Little did he know that he would be helping to set the stage for future Hokies who also will study in Northern Virginia at Virginia Tech’s future Innovation Campus.” [Virginia Tech]

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Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published October 23, 2019 at 8:00AM

Alexandria City Hall sign (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria Declares Climate Emergency — “On October 22, the Alexandria City Council unanimously adopted a resolution declaring a climate emergency, recognizing that climate change poses a grave threat to everyone in Alexandria and around the world.” [City of Alexandria]

City Council Passes Refugee Resolution — “The Alexandria City Council unanimously approved a resolution to notify the federal government of its continued support for resettling refugees in Alexandria. The action was taken in response to Executive Order 13888, issued on September 26, which provides that the federal government ‘should resettle refugees only in those jurisdictions in which both the State and local governments have consented to receive refugees.'” [City of Alexandria]

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Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published October 3, 2019 at 8:00AM

A different pedestrian bridge over Holmes Run (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

T.C. Grad Sets Sprinting Record — “T.C. Williams High School graduate and adidas professional athlete Noah Lyles is your new IAAF World Athletics champion at 200 meters. His winning time in Doha, Qatar, was 19.83 seconds, with a reaction time of 0.168 seconds.” [MileStat]

5G Antenna Applications Streaming In — “#AlexandriaVA received 50 applications for small cell wireless facilities this year. Green dots on this map show the 43 applications that were approved. Ten were in the historic district, and the Board of Architectural Review approved three applications.” [Michael Pope/Twitter]