MARTINSVILLE — On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defined Martinsville as a city that is “deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws endangering American communities.”
Martinsville Police Chief Rob Fincher says DHS got it all wrong.
“The Department of Homeland Security incorrectly reports that Martinsville, Virginia, is a sanctuary city. The City of Martinsville has never made such a declaration,” Fincher said in a release. “Both the Martinsville Police Department and the Martinsville Sheriff’s Office comply with all federal regulations and work together with all state and federal agencies.”
Virginia’s U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both Democrats, issued a statement on Friday slamming the erroneous list that includes 20 counties — including “Martinsville County,” which does not exist — at 13 “cities” — including Duffield, a town with roughly 70 residents and no dedicated police department — as being “sanctuary jurisdictions defying federal immigration.
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The statement from Warner and Kaine included the statement from Fincher and Tazewell County and claimed there are no sanctuary cities in Virginia or in any of its jurisdictions.
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“This list is further proof that the Trump administration’s obsession with government efficiency is nothing but cheap talk,” Warner said in the release. “The White House should get its basic facts straight before attempting to come after Virginia’s localities and its hardworking public servants.”
“The list is riddled with egregious errors — Martinsville isn’t a county and Duffield isn’t a city,” said Kaine in the release. “Coupled with the Department of Health and Human Services’ report this week that cites nonexistent studies, I’m concerned that the Administration is turning to artificial intelligence to replace the work of dedicated civil servants that are being fired. This is yet another reminder of why it’s important that agencies be staffed by experts, because putting inaccurate information out only sows chaos and confusion, and puts commonsense solutions to real problems further out of reach.”
“It is a surprising development to see some of our localities listed as ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ by DHS,” said U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, in a release. “My office has been in contact with our liaisons in the federal government for an explanation and solution. As of now, we do not have a definitive answer. However, it appears that there may be some paperwork anomalies related to federal detainers, particularly at some regional jails.
Griffith added that law enforcement organizations and localities in his Ninth District are very cooperative with the federal government in the handling and detainment of illegal aliens and he intends to monitor the situation and hopes to have some answers by the end of next week.
The list, still available for viewing on the DHS website on Friday, noted it was created to identify sanctuary jurisdictions, which are determined by factors like compliance with federal law enforcement, information restrictions, and legal protections for illegal aliens.
“Each jurisdiction listed will receive formal notification of its non-compliance with Federal statutes, the notice states. “DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with Federal immigration laws and renew their obligations to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens.”
Said Fincher: “We are currently attempting to contact officials with the Department of Homeland Security to correct this error on their part. We will also inform them that the Commonwealth of Virginia does not have a Martinsville County.”