FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Medhini Kumar
Associate Director, Communications
[email protected]
Washington, D.C. (September 1, 2026) – Ayuda expresses profound disappointment and alarm following an eleventh-hour federal judge’s decision on August 31, issuing a preliminary injunction to temporarily block Virginia’s state law restricting 287(g) agreements between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), just one day before its September 1 implementation. The legislation, which was fought for and won through months of relentless mobilization by Ayuda, partner organizations, and thousands of Virginians across the Commonwealth, represented a major step forward in protecting immigrant communities and fostering safety for all residents.
“An eleventh-hour ruling yesterday stripped away the very protections meant to keep the public safe today,” said Sandra Benavente, Advocacy Manager at Ayuda. “This ruling directly undermines the safety and well-being of immigrant families across Virginia. It empowers local law enforcement to funnel Virginians into a detention and deportation system that tears families apart, destabilizes communities, and inflicts lasting trauma on those caught in it. This entanglement of local law enforcement with federal immigration authorities destroys community trust and leaves survivors of domestic violence, crime, and human trafficking isolated and afraid to seek help. Our communities fought hard through the legislative process to ensure Virginia said no to 287(g) and other ICE agreements, and we remain committed to defending that vision.”
The preliminary injunction prevents the Commonwealth from fully enforcing the law, temporarily dismantling protections and creating fear and uncertainty for immigrant communities across Virginia. The ruling prevents law enforcement agencies from entering into any new 287(g) agreements, but keeps existing partnerships alive, enabling local police departments and sheriffs to act as an extension of federal immigration enforcement. Since 2025, collaboration between local authorities and ICE has fueled an exponential increase in the arrest, detention, and deportation of immigrant Virginians, separating families and spreading fear among immigrant communities.
Ayuda remains steadfast in its mission to advocate for the legal rights, safety, and dignity of immigrant communities. We call on state leaders to continue exploring all legal avenues to defend this critical law and protect immigrant residents, and we reaffirm our commitment to standing alongside survivors, families, and our coalition partners in the ongoing movement for immigrant justice in Virginia.
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About Ayuda:
Ayuda provides direct legal, social, and language access services to low-income immigrants in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Since 1973, Ayuda has served more than 150,000 immigrants throughout the region. Ayuda is the only nonprofit service provider in the area that provides a wide range of immigration and family law assistance, social services, and language access support for all immigrants – including women, men, and children – from anywhere in the world. Visit www.ayuda.com to learn more.