Opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and broader federal immigration enforcement is taking shape across Central Virginia, with a series of protests and civic actions scheduled this week and into the spring. Organizers and advocacy groups say the actions reflect growing concern over enforcement practices, potential detention facilities in the region, and the human impact of ICE operations.
The first scheduled action is a community rally tonight, January 28, ahead of the Hanover County Board of Supervisors meeting. The protest will begin at 5 p.m. outside the county complex at 7516 County Complex Road, ahead of the board’s 6 p.m. session. The rally is being co-hosted by RVA Indivisible, Indivisible Central VA, and the Hanover Rapid Response Network, with participation from 50501 Virginia.
Organizers say the rally is a response to ICE’s announced intent to purchase a facility in Hanover County for use as a detention center. The action comes as local leaders and residents express concern about potential impacts on families and immigrant communities, and amid broader national debate over the role and conduct of federal immigration enforcement.
Editor’s Note: The time has been changed to 2:15 – 2:55 pm
Looking ahead to early February, students across Chesterfield County Public Schools are planning a coordinated walkout on Friday, February 6, from 11:15 to 11:55 a.m. The student-led action will take place on the front lawns of participating high schools. Organizers say the demonstration is intended to raise awareness of immigration issues, elevate the voices of impacted individuals and families, and highlight how federal enforcement actions affect communities nationwide. They emphasize the walkout is planned as a peaceful expression of concern by students, remaining on school grounds.
The slate of local actions unfolds against a backdrop of broader national organizing. The No Kings Coalition announced this week that it is building toward a nationwide mass mobilization on March 28, with a flagship event planned in Minneapolis and coordinated actions expected across the country. The coalition’s campaign frames the mobilization as a response to what it describes as escalating federal enforcement abuses, and includes digital organizing, rights training, and partnership with national advocacy groups.
In addition to in-person protests, national organizers are hosting virtual trainings aimed at empowering people to observe and document federal enforcement activity. On Thursday, February 5 at 8:00 p.m. ET, the No Kings Coalition and allied groups are holding a virtual session called “Eyes on ICE: Document and Record.” Organizers say the training is in direct response to the January 24 fatal shooting of 37-year-old Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents, an incident that has drawn widespread criticism and energized efforts to monitor enforcement actions. The session is designed to help participants understand their rights when observing and recording encounters with ICE and Customs and Border Protection, and to share updates on what organizers describe as dangerous and unchecked federal operations.
National civil liberties organizations have been active on these issues outside of protests as well. Advocacy campaigns from the American Civil Liberties Union and its affiliates have urged lawmakers to rein in aggressive enforcement practices and oppose additional funding for ICE operations, arguing that recent federal actions have deepened fear in communities and at times resulted in dangerous encounters and deaths linked to enforcement activities.
Locally, civil rights groups like the ACLU of Virginia have also pushed for broader protections, including messaging campaigns directed at Virginia lawmakers to keep state and local law enforcement out of federal immigration enforcement roles, a concern that dovetails with calls for community oversight and transparency. Here is the call to action HERE.
While the protests and actions differ in scale and audience, they reflect a convergence of concerns around immigration enforcement’s impact on local communities, civil liberties, and the relationship between residents and government institutions. With events planned tonight in Hanover, next month in Chesterfield, and into late March, immigration policy and enforcement are becoming increasingly visible issues in communities across the region.
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