Arlington County, Virginia, has approved a program to provide financial assistance to immigrant families who have had their primary wage earner detained by federal immigration authorities. The Arlington County Board voted 4-0 on Sept. 2 to allocate $50,000 to the initiative, which will offer up to $2,000 per eligible family. The funds will be distributed by Arlington Thrive, a local organization that partners with the county government.
The program aims to support an estimated 25 to 30 families. Arlington Thrive will provide the assistance through debit cards and checks. County officials expressed support for the measure, emphasizing a commitment to assisting immigrant residents during challenging circumstances.
"We stand with our immigrant families, and we will not stop doing so," said Board Chair Matt de Ferranti. "We are valuing the families of those that have been displaced and removed."
Board Vice Chair Maureen Coffey added, "Ensuring that we take care of our community and our residents and our people does mean making sure that we have emergency assistance available for what is probably one of the most challenging situations that you could possibly face. I'm very proud of us for doing this."
The county's decision comes in the wake of increased immigration enforcement actions in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Federal immigration authorities recently conducted an operation in the D.C. suburbs that resulted in more than 1,300 arrests of individuals who were in the country illegally. Among those arrested, nearly 400 had criminal convictions or pending charges for offenses including rape, sexual assault, kidnapping, driving under the influence, robbery, and attempted murder.