McClellan Visits Chesterfield County Courthouse Amid Concerns Over ICE Activity, Highlights New Bill to Prevent Wrongful Detention of Citizens and Legal Residents

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04)visited the Chesterfield County Courthouse and met with local officials, attorneys and advocates to discuss their observations and concerns over increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activityat the courthouse.

Today's visit follows a letterRep. McClellan sent to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier this month, raising alarm over ICE's presence at the courthouse and demanding answers from the agency. In the letter, she emphasized how aggressive enforcement in civic spaces erodes trust in the legal system and endangers public safety.

In her discussions, the Congresswoman heard firsthand how ICE's presence in these public spaces is impacting the community - particularly the chilling effect aggressive immigration enforcement has on immigrant communities' access to court services, justice and due process. Last month, reportsrevealed that ICE detained more than a dozen individuals at the Chesterfield Courthouse, prompting renewed calls for accountability and transparency.

"No one should be afraid to show up in court - whether to work, testify, seek justice, get a marriage license or fulfill a civic obligation," said Congresswoman McClellan. "We must preserve and restore confidence in our public institutions, and we cannot turn a blind eye to our neighbors getting swept up in the unlawful and opaque enforcement actions by this Administration."

To address the broader pattern of wrongful detentions, Rep. McClellan recently introduced H.R. 4703, the DHS Wrongful Detention and Deportation Accountability Act, which would require DHS to track and report all instances in which a United States citizenor lawful permanent resident is detained or deported. The legislation also mandates a standardized process for individuals in DHS custody to prove their citizenship or immigration status.

A 2021 Government Accountability Office reportfound that as many as 70 U.S. citizens were wrongfully deported between 2015 and 2020, but DHS still lacks a system for consistently identifying and reporting such cases.

"ICE's reckless enforcement tactics don't just harm undocumented individuals - they also put American citizens and legal residents at risk," the Congresswoman continued."Entire communities now live in fear that they could be picked up off the street, in a place of worship, at school or in a courthouse - without any due process. My bill would introduce sorely needed oversight and transparency into these unlawful activities by ICE, a crucial first step for turning this crisis around and restoring trust back in our communities."

Read the bill text here.