Speakers during Tuesday’s Gordonsville Town Council meeting had questions all about ICE.
In May, public safety department chief Christopher Votaw entered into a memorandum of agreement with the federal law enforcement agency as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s 287(g) program. The task force model of the program, of which Gordonsville is a part, allows officers to enforce immigration laws during everyday activities like traffic stops or as an active participant in an ICE taskforce. The department also receives specialized training, access to the DHS database and other information, salary and technology stipends for officers and federal funding for police vehicles. Officers have to be off-duty for the town before they can work an ICE assignment.
The agreement was the subject of several public comments at the council meeting. Keswick resident and Gordonsville landowner Jack Maus questioned the cooperation of local officers with what he called a “federal aggressive deportation mission.” He said the agreement shouldn’t have been made without a formal vote by council members as they should be the ones making policy decisions, not employees.
“Is this who we want to be as a community,” Maus asked. “I don’t think so.”
Greene County resident Melanie Johnson, who said she visits Gordonsville weekly, pointed to what is happening in her own county as something Gordonsville doesn’t want. The Greene County Sheriff’s Office is currently under investigation by the Virginia Attorney General for its participation with ICE. An ICE enforcement operation in the county yielded dozens of arrests along U.S. 29, causing questions about civil rights violations and racial profiling.
“That doesn’t need to happen [in Gordonsville],” Johnson said. “People come here because it feels welcoming; safe.”
Maryanne O’Conner, who resides four minutes outside of town, said she’s worked with politicians on letters of support for grants for the Town to Trails effort, which helped fund the pool and the ongoing park upgrades. She said those same individuals will likely think twice about supporting the effort in the future with the town going against Governor Abigail Spanberger’s position on the issue. She also questioned what town residents get out of the agreement.
Lynn Bufton, who along with her husband owns land within the town, asked the council to put an immediate halt to the agreement until the October community meeting. The council has opted to host community meetings quarterly in which attendees can ask questions and gain more information about what is occurring in town. The next community meeting will be held Oct. 5 at 6 p.m.
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