Virginia GOP Leader Criticizes County Program for Families of Deported Immigrants

<p>A Virginia GOP leader is opposing a new county program that provides taxpayer-funded grants to families of undocumented immigrants whose primary wage earner was detained or deported by federal immigration authorities.</p><p>Arlington County, located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., approved a plan on September 2 to allocate $50,000 for this social safety net program.</p><p>According to the program's terms, the funds will be given to the nonprofit Arlington Thrive, which will distribute up to $2,000 to families to assist with basic needs.</p><p>Matthew Hurtt, chairman of the Arlington County GOP, stated, "This flies in the face of the Trump administration policy, and it is a detriment to taxpayers of Arlington, tens of thousands of whom are conservative and Republican and oppose this policy," in comments to Fox News Digital.</p><p>Hurtt referred to the funding as a "slush fund" aimed at opposing the Trump administration's immigration policies. He also noted that Arlington Thrive, being a nonprofit, is not subject to the same transparency requirements as government agencies.</p><p>The County Board supported the program during a special meeting, voting 4-0 with one member absent.</p><p>Board Chair Matt de Ferranti commented, "We stand with our immigrant families, and we will not stop doing so. We are valuing the families of those that have been displaced and removed."</p><p>This decision follows a recent law enforcement operation that resulted in the arrest of over 1,300 undocumented immigrants in the Washington, D.C., and Virginia area over a two-week period.</p><p>In January, de Ferranti encouraged residents to report sightings of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to county authorities as part of the county's stance against immigration enforcement.</p><p>Hurtt indicated that Arlington County and other Northern Virginia counties have historically attempted to counter the Trump administration's efforts to combat illegal immigration through various sanctuary policies.</p><p>He remarked, "Arlington County, Fairfax County, and other Northern Virginia counties are completely run by far-left activists who love this kind of program. They have, for years, since President Trump's first administration, sought to be the first line of defense against the orange man."</p><p>Hurtt also criticized county leaders for advocating bond measures for essential services, which are funded by additional taxes. He stated, "Every single election cycle, the Arlington County board puts hundreds of millions of dollars on the ballot in the form of bond issues for basic services — school improvements, road construction, and other projects that they deem necessary. What that tells voters is that they aren't prioritizing those projects, but they're prioritizing these far-left projects like a slush fund for illegal aliens."</p><p>Fox News Digital has reached out to Arlington County Democrats and the County Board for comments.</p>