Washington, D.C. - Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) joined his colleagues from the Virginia House Democratic delegation, U.S. Representatives Jennifer McClellan (Va.-04), Bobby Scott (Va.-03), Don Beyer (Va.-08), Suhas Subramanyam (Va.-10), and James Walkinshaw (Va.-11), in sending a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons.

The letter expressed fierce opposition to the proposed purchase of a 550,000 square-foot warehouse in Hanover County to serve as an ICE processing and intake facility, as well as the potential construction of a 10,000-bed warehouse detention center in Stafford County.

"Since early last year, we have witnessed an increasingly aggressive and militant ICE under your leadership," wrote Vindman and his colleagues. "Most recently in Minneapolis, we have seen federal immigration agents kill two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and injure dozens more. These reckless raids on our communities have resulted in the wrongful detention of hundreds of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. This disproportionate use of force is utterly unacceptable."

Over the past year, ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have escalated their tactics, demanding identification and proof of legal status from individuals not suspected of any crime, instigating confrontations, using lethal force on protestors, and conducting warrantless searches and entries into homes, businesses, and schools. Combined with DHS's refusal to cooperate with federal partners or allow meaningful congressional oversight, these actions raise serious concerns about the safety and rights of detainees and Virginians. In light of these concerns, community members and local officials in Stafford County and Hanover County have stood firmly against this proposed facility.

"Across the nation, there have been reports of overcrowded detention facilities with poor ventilation, inadequate climate control, limited access to shower facilities and basic hygiene, and insufficient food and access to meals," the Members continued. "We have seen this sort of gross negligence play out firsthand in the Commonwealth. In the summer of 2025, reports emerged of severe overcrowding, a lack of food and access to basic hygiene, and limited water supplies at ICE's Washington Field Office in Chantilly, VA. ICE stonewalled attempts by our offices to gain access to the facility and conduct proper oversight, and it continues to prevent our offices from fully understanding what conditions were like during that period."

Even amid increased scrutiny of ICE's presence in Virginia and nationwide-including the introduction of articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Noem-serious questions remain about the conditions in existing ICE facilities and the measures in place to ensure detainees' basic needs are met. There is no assurance that the proposed ICE facilities in Virginia would allow Members of Congress to effectively conduct oversight or hold DHS accountable for failures in the quality of care or detention conditions.

"Given this history of behavior, it is no surprise that we are alarmed by the prospect of siting two enormous ICE facilities in Virginia," they concluded. "We do not want the Commonwealth to be home to large detention facilities rejected by our local communities, which make no one safer. Rather, these facilities undermine public safety, erode trust between local law enforcement and the public, and place a federal agency indifferent to constitutional liberties near our schools, hospitals, and residential areas. We refuse to allow the Commonwealth to be beholden to an agency that has repeatedly failed to demonstrate the transparency, restraint, and constitutional compliance the public and Congress are entitled to expect from law enforcement."

Read the full letter below.

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Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons:

We write today to express our strong opposition to the proposed purchase of a 550,000 sq. ft. warehouse in Hanover County to serve as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing and intake facility, as well as the potential construction of a 10,000-bed warehouse detention center in Stafford County, Virginia. The proposed facility in Hanover County was pursued with no local input, no transparency, and no regard for community impact. We support the Hanover County Board of Supervisors in resisting further pursuit of this facility. The track record of impunity, violence, and disregard for civil liberties that ICE has exhibited under your leadership raises extreme concerns for the safety of detainees and our constituents.

Since early last year, we have witnessed an increasingly aggressive and militant ICE under your leadership. From Los Angeles to Chicago to Charlotte to Minneapolis and other cities across this nation, ICE has terrorized communities, viciously turned on peaceful protestors, and instigated violence. Most recently in Minneapolis, we have seen federal immigration agents kill two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and injure dozens more.

These reckless raids on our communities have resulted in the wrongful detention of hundreds of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. This is a shocking amount of violence to apprehend a largely nonviolent population of people. Over 70% of those detained have no criminal record. And only 5% of those detained have a violent criminal record. This disproportionate use of force is utterly unacceptable.

We have witnessed other forms of gross misconduct as a part of ICE's extended campaign in our communities. Widespread racial profiling has exasperated and exhausted our communities of color. Unconstitutional demands that individuals randomly show their IDs and verify their legal status when they are not suspected of any crime have undermined the trust that local and state law enforcement have worked so hard to build and depend on to keep communities safe. Aggressive statements from ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) leadership undermining citizens' First Amendment rights, as well as gross violations of Americans' Fourth Amendment rights through warrantless searches and entries into homes, businesses, and schools, demonstrate a shocking failure to uphold basic constitutional rights and principles.

Across the nation, there have been reports of overcrowded detention facilities with poor ventilation, inadequate climate control, limited access to shower facilities and basic hygiene, and insufficient food and access to meals. Numerous reports have also surfaced of ICE blocking detainees from contacting legal assistance and denying medical assistance to those who rely on it at these facilities. Most shockingly, a record number of individuals have died in ICE custody since this Administration began. At least 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025, and at least 8 people have died just in the first month of 2026.

We have seen this sort of gross negligence play out firsthand in the Commonwealth. In the summer of 2025, reports emerged of severe overcrowding, a lack of food and access to basic hygiene, and limited water supplies at ICE's Washington Field Office in Chantilly, VA. ICE stonewalled attempts by our offices to gain access to the facility and conduct proper oversight, and it continues to prevent our offices from fully understanding what conditions were like during that period. Similar conditions have been reported at the Farmville Detention Facility where Kilmar Abrego Garcia was wrongfully detained.

ICE has also refused to allow for meaningful congressional oversight, and Members of Congress have not been given timely access to its facilities to conduct oversight on the treatment and conditions to which it has subjected detainees. This pattern of avoiding congressional oversight and accountability clearly stems from the very top, as Secretary Noem has resisted attempts to have her testify before Congress, and only agreed to do so after the public outcry over ICE and CBP misconduct in Minneapolis reached a level that not even this Administration could ignore.

Given this history of behavior, it is no surprise that we are alarmed by the prospect of siting two enormous ICE facilities in Virginia. We do not want the Commonwealth to be home to large detention facilities rejected by our local communities, which make no one safer. Rather, these facilities undermine public safety, erode trust between local law enforcement and the public, and place a federal agency indifferent to constitutional liberties near our schools, hospitals, and residential areas. We refuse to allow the Commonwealth to be beholden to an agency that has repeatedly failed to demonstrate the transparency, restraint, and constitutional compliance the public and Congress are entitled to expect from law enforcement.

BACKGROUND

In January, Vindman released a statement standing against the proposed ICE facility in Stafford County after meeting with community leaders, law enforcement, and elected officials. Later that month, he voted against the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill which could have funded this 'mega-detention' center.

Following the murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents, he also backed a resolution to impeach DHS Secretary Noem and joined 14 fellow Democratic Veterans in the U.S. House to call for a stand down of ICE and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) interior operations.

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