Richmond must be a city where every resident should feel safe accessing city services, reporting crimes, and engaging with local government - regardless of immigration status. The recent ICE activity is deeply concerning. It undermines the trust that is essential between law enforcement and the communities they serve. As an immigrant myself, I am extremely mindful of the fear and uncertainty such actions create.

Richmond does not and will not coordinate with ICE on deportation. RPD Chief Edwards and I are in lockstep in our support of local communities, and the Richmond Police Department has not signed a 287(g) agreement with ICE. Our officers are here to protect our neighborhoods, not to enforce federal immigration policies.

Additionally, while RPD relies on License Plate Reader technology to quickly solve major local crimes, they are committed to a transparent and safe use of this data. Flock has a 21-day data retention policy, after which all of the data is deleted. The Richmond Police Department will not share Flock data with other federal agencies and now performs regular audits of accounts to ensure no one has unintentional access.

Here's what we will do:

• We will continue to provide residents with information about their Constitutional rights and direct folks to private law firms and service providers through our Navigation Services and trusted community partners.
• I will continue to do everything within my power to protect and support Richmonders - no matter where they come from, because our strength comes from the diversity, resilience, and contributions of all who call it home.
• Finally, I will commit to meeting with the families of residents detained, to see, first-hand, the impacts on our communities.