Arlington leaders on Tuesday, May 13, plan to further restrict cooperation of the county’s police department with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement , or ICE.

Board members are expected to strip the ability of police to interact with ICE on local arrests out of the Arlington County Police Department’s policy.

The county government in 2022 adopted what has become known as the “ Trust Policy ” — formally “Arlington’s Commitment to Strengthening Trust with Our Immigrant Communities.” It was amended in late 2024, but immigrant-rights activists continued to push for elimination of what is known as Section 7.

That section of the policy lists the circumstances when county police are allowed to notify ICE of arrests, and the procedure for making contacts.

A draft of the Trust Policy circulating in County leadership would strip out those qualifiers.

Board members plan to take action during their monthly Tuesday-afternoon session , which typically is sparsely attended.

“We’ll provide feedback and our opinions” at the Tuesday meeting, County Board Chair Takis Karantonis said at the start of the body’s Saturday (May 10) session .

The proposed change would be a win for advocates who, for several years, have pushed county leaders to remove any direct collaboration with ICE. It comes at a time the Trump administration has ramped up immigration-enforcement efforts in Arlington and across the nation.

The Board’s newest member — JD Spain, Sr. — has promoted the change and believes it is in alignment with community values.

“We’ve met with folks from different organizations. We’ve heard you,” he said.

Indications that changes to Section 7 might be forthcoming began to appear at a Board meeting in March . In April, Karantonis all but acknowledged the changes would come; he reiterated that view at the May 7 Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting.

“We are about to … remove Section 7,” Karantonis said at that meeting , where he faced off against James DeVita in a candidate forum ahead of the June 17 Democratic primary.

No public comment on the proposed change will be taken at the May 13 meeting. Several individuals spoke about it at the Board’s May 10 public comment period.

Several activists noted that interactions between the Arlington County Police Department and ICE had increased dramatically in recent months.

Amber Qureshi, a member of several organizations pushing for Section 7’s elimination, said she was pleased with the decision, but believed it was late in coming.

“You chose to look away” for too long, she told Board members.

But not everyone at the meeting believed the policy change was advisable.

“Repeal of Section 7 will release criminal aliens … to continue their life of crime on Arlington streets,” said Audrey Clement, a perennial candidate for political office who spoke at the public-comment period.

Eliminating interaction with ICE as provided under Section 7 would endanger legal immigrants who most often are the victims of crimes committed by undocumented migrants, Clement contended.

Karantonis pushed back on Clement’s assertion that the vote would increase danger in the community. He said those arrested on criminal charges would face justice at the local level.

“Those who have committed the crime will do the time. This is what we continue to stand for,” the chair said.

Also during the public-comment period of the May 10 meeting, a number of speakers pressed Board members to end the county government’s relationship with the Virginia Israel Advisory Board , a state agency that promotes the Old Dominion as a location for Israeli businesses.

Karantonis said cooperation with the state body was one part of many county economic-development initiatives.

“We work with those who want to come to Arlington,” he said.

On the broader issue of Israel-Palestinian relations, also brought up by several speakers, Karantonis reiterated a comment made last year by then-Board Chair Libby Garvey. On several occasions, Garvey said it wasn’t the Board’s job to get enmeshed in international relations.

Karantonis reiterated the point on May 10.

“The previous statement on us not being participants in foreign policy stands,” he said.

County Board members in early 2024 considered issuing a resolution on the ongoing Israel-Hamas warfare, but ultimately did not.