Press Releases

Gov. Youngkin’s anti-immigrant executive order is playing politics with people’s lives

"It's disappointing that Gov. Youngkin is planning to throw good money after bad by wasting Virginians' tax dollars terrorizing local communities," said ACLU of Virginia Senior Immigrants' Rights Attorney Sophia Gregg.
Issue Areas: Immigrants' Rights

Proposing to ban ‘sanctuary cities’ is out of touch with Virginia, home to 1 million immigrants

“The Youngkin administration’s proposal to force Virginia police to do the federal government’s job at Virginians’ expense doesn’t stand a chance," said ACLU-VA Senior Immigrants' Rights Attorney Sophia Gregg.
Issue Areas: Immigrants' Rights

We need you in the fight for Virginians’ civil rights and civil liberties in a second Trump term

“The results of yesterday’s election are clear, and so is the threat to our democracy that a second Trump presidential term represents," said ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Mary Bauer. "We’re ready to fight any attack on these rights with the full force of the ACLU of Virginia."

Class action settlement releases multiple immigrants from ICE custody and establishes procedure for releasing dozens more

“If you win your immigration case in Virginia, ICE is supposed to let you go – but instead, it’s been unlawfully detaining dozens of people for months in violation of its own policies,” said ACLU of Virginia Attorney Sophia Gregg.
Issue Areas: Immigrants' Rights

ACLU-VA lawsuit pushes Roanoke to adopt U visa certification policy in win for immigrants

“Police departments should not arbitrarily refuse to issue U visa certifications, and thanks to today’s settlement, immigrants in Roanoke will finally get what the law promises them,” said ACLU of Virginia Immigrants’ Rights Attorney Sophia Gregg.
Issue Areas: Immigrants' Rights

Dozens of immigrants join first-of-its-kind class action lawsuit

“Today’s order isn’t just the first lawsuit of its kind to ever be filed in the Fourth Circuit: it’s a first step towards getting justice for the dozens of people whom ICE has harmed here in Virginia," said ACLU of Virginia Staff Attorney Sophia Gregg.
Issue Areas: Immigrants' Rights

ACLU of Virginia files first-of-its-kind immigration lawsuit

"Immigrant survivors of crime have rights,” said ACLU-VA Immigrants’ Rights Attorney Sophia Gregg. “Virginia law is very clear: police departments can’t arbitrarily refuse to issue U visa certifications any more than they could refuse to investigate the crimes that make people eligible for them."
Issue Areas: Immigrants' Rights

Not in our names: Joint statement against Texas’ cruelty at the border

ACLU affiliates issue a response to Republican governors’ escalation of immigration enforcement.
Issue Areas: Immigrants' Rights

ACLU of Virginia secures release of man held for months without being charged with a single immigration violation

"Although we’re relieved that our client is finally free, he should never have been illegally imprisoned in the first place,” said Sophia Gregg, Immigrants’ Rights Attorney for the ACLU of Virginia.
Issue Areas: Immigrants' Rights