An interim House Judiciary report faults Arlington County’s sanctuary policies and limits on cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Prosecutor Parisa Dehghani-Tafti called it a “political sham,” saying it misrepresented her policies and testimony.
The 23-page interim staff report cites Arlington’s May 2025 Trust Policy, which bars county police from initiating contact with federal immigration authorities even when they identify an undocumented person as a violent felon, gang member, human trafficker or terrorist. The report says Dehghani-Tafti acknowledged in a July 16, 2026, closed-door deposition that her office considers immigration status in case outcomes and that written guidelines do not forbid considering it for any crime.
Dehghani-Tafti also defended a memo instructing prosecutors to consider other charges when a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient is accused of drunk driving, to avoid “disproportionate and devastating collateral consequences.” The article says USCIS classifies a DUI conviction as a significant misdemeanor that bars DACA renewal and triggers deportation.
