Employees in Fairfax County, Va. just outside of Washington, D.C. are officially prohibited from working with federal immigration agents, in a move to help illegal immigrants who reportedly avoided getting help during the COVID-19 pandemic for fear of being deported.
The long-standing practice known as the “Trust Policy” was formally adopted in a 9-to-1 vote by the county’s Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, the Washington Post reported. The rule bars any county employees from pursuing or sharing information about an individual’s immigration status, unless required by state or federal law, a court order, or judicial warrant.
Co-sponsored with Supervisors Dalia A. Palchik (D-Providence) and John W. Foust (D-Drainesville), the rule expands on move made by the Fairfax County police department last year that prohibits officers from asking individuals about their immigration status or providing information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).