Controversy Over Arlington County’s Immigration Policy
A Democratic prosecutor’s office is facing backlash from Republicans regarding a recent policy aimed at protecting undocumented immigrants from deportation. The Arlington County attorney in Virginia labeled Republican criticisms as a “political sham,” particularly in regards to changes affecting DACA recipients charged with driving under the influence.
A report from the House Judiciary Committee claimed that Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Arlington’s Commonwealth Attorney, was endangering public safety to push a liberal agenda. This report included internal documents revealing that DACA recipients facing DUI charges could face deportation by Homeland Security.
The policy states, “We must consider an individual’s DACA status when formulating offers to ensure that appropriate sanctions are enforced to protect the public while preventing deportation due to a DUI.” It emphasizes the need for prosecutors to mitigate the “disproportionate collateral effects” of DUI convictions on DACA recipients.
The committee also criticized Arlington’s hesitance to cooperate with federal authorities regarding illegal immigrants, suggesting this could compromise public safety.
In response, Dehghani-Tafti stood firm. “The authors of this report are confident, but they are wrong—wrong about the law, our policy, and the cases they cite,” she stated. She argued that the process was politically motivated and highlighted the committee’s refusal to allow her to testify publicly, claiming it was to distort the narrative.
Dehghani-Tafti demanded the committee release the full transcript of her deposition, hinting at concerns over transparency. The report further accused Arlington’s policies of shielding serious criminals, such as murderers, terrorists, and sex traffickers, from deportation.
In contrast, the Democrat-led Arlington board countered these accusations, asserting that their immigration enforcement actions align with federal law, emphasizing that such matters are within federal jurisdiction, not local purview.
