Timothy Anderson, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, said that Democrats’ opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) courthouse arrests undermines law enforcement’s ability to uphold immigration laws in public spaces. This statement was made on Facebook.
“Democrats will do and say anything to obstruct lawful immigration enforcement,” said Anderson, Candidate, according to Facebook. “ICE arrested 14 individuals at a courthouse — a public place where laws are supposed to be upheld. Now the Left is melting down because they think even courts should be off-limits. If ICE can’t enforce the law at a courthouse… then where can they?”
According to Axios, ICE has significantly increased courthouse arrests in Virginia, igniting political debate. Governor Glenn Youngkin supports this approach, while immigrant advocates warn it discourages court participation. The recent surge includes at least 45 arrests statewide since April 2025 and is linked to revived federal enforcement priorities. This has led to local protests and renewed calls for policy limits on ICE presence in state courthouses.
Virginia Scope reports that there have been at least 45 ICE enforcement actions in Virginia courthouses since April 2025. Notably, the Chesterfield courthouse saw 14 people detained over three days in June. These actions have involved individuals with minor or non-immigration cases, causing concern among some local officials and community advocates.
The Associated Press highlights that Virginia’s policies permit more aggressive ICE courthouse enforcement compared to states like Massachusetts and New York, which have court rulings or laws limiting such actions. In contrast, Virginia continues to support ICE operations at courthouses as part of its executive branch’s law enforcement priorities.
Ballotpedia details that Timothy V. Anderson is a Republican attorney and former delegate for Virginia’s 83rd District who is now running in District 97. He is recognized for advocating strict immigration enforcement and cooperation with ICE at courthouses, drawing from his extensive experience in criminal and business law.