House Judiciary Report Criticizes Arlington County's Sanctuary Policies

A recent report from the House Judiciary Committee has sharply criticized Arlington County, Virginia, for its sanctuary policies, alleging that local officials prioritize undocumented immigrants over public safety and impede federal immigration enforcement efforts.

The 23-page interim staff report from the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement contends that the county and other local Democratic-run jurisdictions have disregarded public safety by enacting policies that make it more difficult for federal authorities to detain and arrest undocumented immigrants with criminal records.

"Arlington elected officials prioritize illegal aliens over the safety of Arlington residents," said Matthew Hurtt, chairman of the Arlington County Republican Committee. "And as an Arlington resident, I've seen this play out over the last several months."

The report highlights a perceived lack of cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration agencies, citing Arlington County's official "Trust Policy." The updated May 2025 policy prohibits the Arlington County Police Department from initiating contact with federal immigration authorities, even when identifying an undocumented immigrant as a violent felon, gang member, human trafficker, or terrorist.

Federal immigration authorities make an arrest in Arlington, Va., in February. A House Judiciary Committee report heavily criticized Arlington County officials over their sanctuary city policies. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

The committee report also references a deposition from July 16, 2026, where Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church, reportedly acknowledged that her office considers immigration status when determining case outcomes. She also admitted that written guidelines do not forbid considering immigration status for any crime.

Specifically, the report details a memo from Dehghani-Tafti's office that instructed prosecutors to consider alternative charges when a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient is accused of drunk driving. According to the report, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services classifies a DUI conviction as a "significant misdemeanor," which can bar DACA renewal and trigger deportation. The memo reportedly suggested considering DACA status to avoid "disproportionate and devastating collateral consequences."

"It's not the job of a prosecutor to decide lenience against illegal aliens who are oftentimes committing violent crimes against individuals or property crimes, but that is exactly what Arlington Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti has been doing," Hurtt stated.

Arlington County board of Supervisors. (Arlington County)

Hurtt also criticized Steve Descano, the Commonwealth's Attorney for nearby Fairfax County, referencing a string of alleged crimes committed by undocumented immigrants in that jurisdiction.

In a statement, Dehghani-Tafti described the committee report as a "political sham." She asserted that the committee refused to hear her testimony publicly, which she claimed allowed for the distortion of records. "This report is the predictable product of that process—a piece of political propaganda timed for the midterms, built on the deliberate misrepresentations of my policies and my testimony," she said. Dehghani-Tafti demanded that the committee release the full, unedited transcript of her deposition.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Dehghani-Tafti's office, the Sheriff's Office, and the County Board for comment.