Martha-Helene Stapleton- “This is our neighborhood; we don’t want to live in fear.”
Immigrants and others spoke out about safety and deportation at the Town of Herndon’s public hearing. On Tuesday, Dec. 10, the Town of Herndon held its final 2024 public hearing. Forty-seven percent of the town's population reportedly are immigrants; some are living there legally, and others are not. The town has a police department, but the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office manages the town's interim detention center and oversees its operations. Suspects are transferred to the Fairfax County Detention Center.
Town residents, some members of the New Virginia Majority, testified in Spanish with an English translation; others spoke in English, saying they were concerned about the incoming federal administration's impact on their migrant community. They advocated against local support for federal immigration enforcement, reiterated the need for the town's police department to avoid collaborating with ICE and for the department to protect all migrant families, and called for the town's council, staff, and police department to reaffirm their commitment to the Fairfax County Trust Policy.
Martha Helene Stapleton, organizer of a prayer vigil and community meeting held after the Nov 18 abduction and rape, voiced concerns about public safety. “Immigrants are reluctant to report crimes… We are all impacted if crimes go unreported and criminals prey on vulnerable communities… We don't want to live in fear,” she said.
Lorena Brady testified, “This town government must implement solutions and policies that will prevent extremism. … The resolution should … make explicit opposition to mass deportations and targeting of law-abiding neighbors and families specifically, … oppose legislation that would mandate local governments to enforce federal immigration laws … oppose legislation for executive branch efforts that focus limited immigration enforcement resources on deporting law-abiding immigrants, rather than on the small number who have committed violent crimes.”
Roberto (no last name provided) said. “Students should … not be worried about whether ICE will visit their
Brandon Anderson- “There needs to be a clear line, and we need to have the moral courage to defend ourselves and our community and say, if you break the law, we will cooperate with ICE and we will deport you.”
Brandon Anderson countered saying, “We're a nation of immigrants, and we're also a nation of laws… The perpetrator of the sexual assault had committed one misdemeanor and two felonies before he went on to assault a woman in our community. He should have been deported. He was not, and he hurt someone. This is not an academic exercise. There needs to be a clear line, and we need to have the moral courage to defend ourselves and our community and say, "If you break the law, we will cooperate with ICE, and we will deport you.”
Councilmember Doniella Scherff requested a confirmation statement from the Town Attorney, Lesa Yeatts: “As a town, we are already abiding by the Trust Policy that the county has adopted and that they're building on and going forward. Is that accurate?”
“I believe that is accurate in practice,” Yeatts said.
In a vote of 6-0, the Town Council approved Resolution 24-G-72, affirming the Town of Herndon’s commitment to creating a safe and welcoming community for all.