District of Columbia
The District is a testing ground for what Donald Trump hopes he can get away with across the country. According to the Washington Post, there have been more than 1,100 people in the District arrested by ICE since October with “more than triple the amount of ICE arrests in D.C. during the first seven months of the year” Every day, residents and visitors to D.C., including people who work in the District and are residents of the DMV, face a surge of federal agents. The people of the District have faced harassment, arrest, and detention as they go about their daily lives at work, at school, and in their neighborhoods. This has been particularly true in neighborhoods with significant immigrant populations.
And D.C.’s status as a federal district, not a state, makes it easier for the administration to get away with it.
But we are not powerless. In September, ACLU-DC and co-counsel sued the administration on behalf of four residents and the national immigration organization CASA, challenging the administration’s policy and practice of making civil immigration arrests without a warrant. The law permits such arrests only if arresting officers have probable cause that the person has committed a violation of immigration law and is a flight risk, but we documented agents’ repeated failure to meet these standards, showing that the resulting arrests violate federal immigration law.
In December, a federal court ruled in our favor, temporarily halting the administration’s practice.
As this surge of agents into our neighborhoods has occurred, ACLU-DC has distributed more than 20,000 Know Your Rights cards–in English, Spanish, French, and Amharic—to help residents and visitors stay safe.
Maryland
In Maryland, the consequences of renewed federal immigration enforcement are both measurable and deeply personal. Through the first nine months of President Trump’s second term, ICE made more than 3,200 arrests in Maryland, nearly three times the total from the same period last year. Just over half of those arrested had no criminal history, underscoring that enforcement is sweeping up long-standing community members, not just people with serious convictions.
One of the most alarming examples is the case of Kilmar Ábrego García, a Maryland resident who was wrongly deported in 2025 despite a legal determination that returning him to El Salvador would put his life at risk. His case sparked widespread outrage and legal action, highlighting how quickly due process can collapse under aggressive enforcement.
At the same time, Maryland communities have demonstrated the power of organized resistance. In Wicomico County, sustained advocacy by immigrants, faith leaders, and local residents successfully stopped a proposed 287(g) agreement that would have deputized local law enforcement to carry out ICE functions. These efforts show that while federal enforcement casts a wide net, community action can still draw meaningful limits and protect fundamental rights.
Virginia
In 2025, Virginia saw one of the largest increases in immigration arrests in the country: up 358 percent, with an average of 20 Virginians arrested every day.
Two-thirds of Virginia’s immigrants live in Northern Virginia. To the Trump administration, the region might seem like a convenient target, close to the White House. But there is no acceptable reason to break apart families and “disappear” Virginians, least of all for a political agenda.
Our staff have filed four different lawsuits on behalf of immigrants impacted by the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda in Virginia, and we’ve held more than 30 Know Your Rights workshops in multiple languages for interacting with ICE and the police.
Virginians know that immigrants have always been an indispensable part of the Commonwealth, and together, we’re committed to making sure Virginia is safe – for ALL of us.
