As concerns over federal immigration enforcement in Virginia continue to grow, so have efforts by local organizations to inform the public about how to exercise their rights and stay safe in the event of ICE activity in their community.
As part of those efforts, Indivisible Charlottesville and Keep Going Together will host a free community training event Wednesday, Feb. 25.
The training will focus on nonviolent legal actions that community members can take if they witness ICE activity. Attendees will learn their rights, how to correctly identify and verify ICE agents, how to safely and legally record arrests and more. The event is free and registration is not required.
The training takes place against a backdrop of intensifying ICE activity throughout Virginia.
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Learn what to do if Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up
Indivisible Charlottesville and Keep Going Together are offering a free training event from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville, located at 717 Rugby Road.
Attendees will learn their rights, how to correctly identify and verify ICE agents, how to safely and legally record arrests and more. The event is free, and childcare will be available for those who need it. There will be limited parking available in the church parking lot and on the street, so carpooling is strongly encouraged by the event organizers. Learn more here.
Multiple news agencies including WRIC, VPM and the Richmond Times-Dispatch have reported that more than 6,600 ICE arrests took place in Virginia in the period from President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025 through October 2025, based on the most recent information available from the Data Deportation Project. WRIC additionally reported that nearly 70% of those detained in central Virginia’s facilities — the Farmville and Caroline detention centers, and Riverside Regional Jail — have no criminal record.
Earlier this month, Charlottesville City Council unanimously adopted a resolution condemning ICE’s enforcement tactics and affirming that city law enforcement is not required to assist ICE without a formal agreement in place. The move aligns with Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s recent executive directive to end state law enforcement partnerships with the agency.
Meanwhile in the Virginia General Assembly, both the House of Delegates and State Senate have introduced bills to limit how, when and where ICE can conduct its operations within the commonwealth.
Locally, demonstrations have included a protest at Target’s Hollymead location in late January and walkouts in February by high school students in Charlottesville, Albemarle County and Spotsylvania County.
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More about immigration and federal activity in central Virginia
Charlottesville asylum seeker wins bond, but DHS refuses to release him
Immigration attorneys say the Department of Homeland Security is employing a little-used regulation to ignore a judge’s orders to free detainees.
Undocumented students keep in-state tuition for now as Virginia re-enters legal fight
The outcome of an ongoing lawsuit could determine whether thousands of Virginia students can afford to stay in college, but it is likely to be a lengthy battle.
Homeland Security officers train at Albemarle High School practice fields with local police — without permission from school division
“I had students come into morning class and just tell me, ‘I need to go, my brother is going to pick me up, ICE is here,’” an Albemarle High School teacher told Charlottesville Tomorrow.
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