As the President of Latinos4Latinos+Allies, a student organization that advocates for the Latino community, I find it utterly ridiculous and disappointing that Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey, an elected official, insists upon voluntarily collaborating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Due to how close and personal this issue is to me, and the fact the Sheriff continues to do this, I cannot stay quiet. 

For months now, the ICE Out of Alexandria Coalition has worked tirelessly to document what is happening and explain how far these actions go beyond what the law requires of Sheriff Casey. Their work has made one thing clear: Sheriff Casey is choosing to betray his constituents. 

 On November 12, after months of community pressure, the Alexandria City Council released a statement condemning the Sheriff’s voluntary collaboration with ICE and requesting that he stop. Although it was long overdue, the message is clear: our city is against Sheriff Casey’s collaboration with ICE. Thanks to the ICE out of Alexandria Coalition, we know how he does this:

For one, he regularly provides “courtesy calls” to ICE, a practice that is not legally required. This is when Sheriff Casey notifies ICE about the exact date and time a detained immigrant will be released from jail. This allows ICE to wait outside and detain the person immediately. 

Another practice is “ICE holds,” which is when Casey keeps someone in custody beyond their release time in order to give ICE an opportunity to arrive and abduct them. These holds are based on administrative requests, not judicial warrants, which means the sheriff is not obligated to honor them. Administrative warrants stand in contrast to judicial warrants, which are signed by a judge and legally binding, while the former is not. 

He also does voluntary transfers, where undocumented individuals are handed directly to ICE, despite not being legally required to.

Moreover, concerns about transparency have only intensified the criticism. We now also know that Sheriff Casey has used taxpayer money to hire a private attorney, in response to an influx of “Freedom of Information Access” (FOIA) requests related to his collaboration with ICE. Several of those requests have been rejected, leaving the public with no answers about how his egregious actions continue. The decision to use public funds to restrict access to public information has upset many residents who expect openness from their elected officials. Sheriff  Casey claims that the reason for this is that there is public information on these records, but, as the ICE out of Alexandria Coalition has stated: “Personal information can be redacted on a FOIA request.”  

All of this is happening at a time when our community is already dealing with fear, pressure, and uncertainty. People are struggling with housing costs, economic instability, and the lingering effects of national political tension. In moments like these, leadership matters. Young people, especially us students, look to public officials to set an example, to act with care, responsibility, and respect for the people who live here, whether you’re an undocumented immigrant or not. Instead, Casey’s voluntary collaboration with ICE adds another layer of worry to a community that is already burdened by too much. His actions deepen existing anxieties, erode trust, and signal that the concerns of the community are secondary to choices he is not required to make in the first place. 

Transparency, accountability, and empathy are not too much to expect from someone elected to protect the public. When an official goes beyond what the law requires in ways that cause harm, the public has every right to call attention to it and hold him accountable. I would like to thank all the members of the ICE out of Alexandria Coalition for all their hard work. Furthermore, I would like to say that as a Latino, the son of immigrants, president of a Latino club, and a proud American, I strongly condemn these actions and ask that the Sheriff cease his cooperation with ICE. 

With love for my city, 

Darwin Salazar 

President of Latinos4Latinos+Allies 

Host of “NOT Controversial”