Out of seven men arrested by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last week in Annandale, Virginia, only one had a criminal record in the United States.
The arrests sent a wave of fear through the community living in Fairmont Gardens, a large apartment complex. All seven of those men were arrested while on their way to work.
ICE has since published photos on its website and social media pages of some of the men who were arrested on Feb. 5.
The only one of the men with a U.S. criminal record had been arrested for driving while intoxicated; the other six were arrested for immigration or border-crossing violations.
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President Donald Trump has said his plan for mass deportations would focus first on violent offenders and gang members. As one ICE leader put it, "the worst go first."
Here's what a coworker says happened
News4 spoke by phone with a man who was riding in a construction truck with one of the men who was arrested. He asked that we conceal his identity.
The man said ICE pulled them over and then took his colleague into custody. That colleague, now 22, was arrested for illegally entering the United States in 2019.
The man said agents seemed focused on residents from a particular building.
"I was not aware of his immigration or issues," the man said by phone. "When they told me they were going to take him, I, of course, got really upset."
"It's kind of a shame they are stopping people just trying to go to work like he was," the coworker said.
'All immigrants are now an enforcement priority'
Immigration advocates say it has become clear with recent arrests that ICE is not limiting its arrests to the "worst."
"I think one thing that has been clear is that all immigrants are now an enforcement priority, or removal priority," said Rohmah Javed with the Legal Aid Justice Center. "That was always different under other administrations."
Javed told News4 a rapid response hotline has fielded more than 150 calls, with reports of ICE activity in Northern Virginia.
She said the fact that ICE arrests extend to those only with immigration violations is intensifying fear in the immigrant community.
"We are absolutely seeing massive anxiety and fear," Javed said.
On social media, ICE is spotlighting other recent arrests, such as one man who was convicted of sexual assault in Fairfax. ICE says he was deported and then returned illegally.
NBC News has reported the Trump administration set a goal of 1,200 to 1,400 ICE arrests a day. In late January, arrests were averaging below that, at about 787 a day.
According to that NBC News report, Trump and his border czar, Tom Homan, are angry the arrest numbers are not higher.
Those arrested in Northern Virginia are being taken to ICE facilities in Farmville and Caroline County, Virginia.
Advocacy groups are focused on helping some of those people return to their families.
"We were successfully able to get two folks out on bond yesterday," Javed said. "So, that was exciting for our team."
For that team, the work is only just beginning.
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