The ACLU of Virginia strongly objects to the Caroline County Board of Supervisors’ recent decision to enter into a contract agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use a former county facility to hold immigrant detainees.

“This ruling will go down in history as one of the Supreme Court’s great failures. It repeats the mistakes of the Korematsu decision upholding Japanese-American imprisonment and swallows wholesale government lawyers’ flimsy national security excuse for the ban..."

Virginia should welcome newcomers and promote cooperation between immigrants and local police; not create fear of detention and removal for coming forward to report crimes. For these reason, the ACLU of Virginia urges Governor Northam to veto HB 1257.