Immigration enforcement was the much discussed topic at the Gordonsville Town Council Community Meeting Monday.
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.
In a prepared statement, Gordonsville Police Chief Chris Votaw said the town’s participation provides coordination. Declining to participate would not prevent federal ICE enforcement from occurring in the town, but by participating, the department is aware of and coordinated with whenever legally and operationally possible.
“This matters for public safety,” he said. “A working relationship gives us a mechanism to communicate, provide local knowledge, identify safety concerns and coordinate our response.”
Several months ago, an ICE operation occurred in the Town of Orange near Porterfield Park. Neither the town nor the county police were aware of it prior to it occurring.
Votaw said the agreement also provides specialized training and access to federal information systems that can give officers greater detail about individuals they encounter. It allows officers to address certain immigration violations when discovered during legitimate law enforcement activity. He said immigration is a much more complicated issue than public discussion suggests. Officers, he said, are not immigration judges. Instead, their job is to follow the law, their training, the agreement and any applicable federal process.
To date, Votaw said approximately 57% of the individuals encountered through enforcement activities have been previously removed from the U.S. at least once, some having been removed as many as three times. The remaining encounters, he said, have included individuals with existing removal orders to individuals whose lawful status could not be established.
“My responsibility is to enforce the law fairly, protect this community, safeguard constitutional rights and make decisions that I believe increase the safety of our residents and our officers,” Votaw said. “This is the standard I used when evaluating the program and it will remain the standard I use in determining how this department participates in it.”
The 287(g) agreement has been the subject of several public comments since residents learned about it in August. That trend continued Monday with several speakers voicing their concerns. Gordonsville resident Sandy Motley said one of the biggest issues is the lack of transparency when the agreement was signed. Council was briefed following the signing of the agreement.
“I’m curious why it wasn’t brought to the community,” she said.
Resident Will Stewart said while he appreciates the town police chief having the community’s safety in mind, ICE seems to be almost rogue in its operation and may not be something to depend on or trust. Ann Schwind, also a town resident, urged the council to withdraw from the agreement. Katie Stevens agreed.
“You talk about protecting and serving,” she said. “I don’t want to be protected at the expense of my neighbors.”
Joe Paul asked who the focus was on–the local full-time gardeners or the truly “nasty” guys. Votaw confirmed the focus would be on the “bad guy,” but that can only be done if the officer is specially trained, which is what the agreement provides.
Several speakers asked for a referendum on this issue. With early voting already underway and Election Day less than a month away, there wouldn’t be time for one, said vice mayor Emily Winkey. She thanked everyone for voicing their opinions.
The topic has been placed on the agenda for the next regular council meeting. Plans are also underway to issue an online survey for town residents to voice their opinions on the issue. The survey is an effort to gather information as to if residents support or oppose the 287(g) agreement. That survey is likely to be released this week.
In the meantime, Votaw said speaking with residents has changed his mind about one thing. Gordonsville officers will no longer participate in ICE enforcement operations outside of the town. Previously officers were available to participate during off-duty hours.
“I made that decision deliberately,” he said. “Our participation in this program is intended to address issues affecting our community, not to make Gordonsville officers a regional immigration-enforcement unit. Our officers and resources are here first and foremost to serve the people of Gordonsville.”
Update: On Thursday morning, the Gordonsville Town Council issued its survey for town residents to voice their opinions on the 287(g) agreement. “The survey is an opportunity for a broader range of residents to share their opinions and help council better understand the community’s views to asses the future of the agreement.” To access the survey, visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeNnAi6Z5RwS9kIjLYx6ZrGVkuFV0LTN1KHuFMhEWexWxby_g/viewform.
