Local Police Not Part of Trump Immigration Crackdown

Immigration is a federal issue, police chiefs say

Jan 30, 2025

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pictures of Williamsburg and James City County police chiefs — Williamsburg Police Chief Sean Dunn, left, and James City County Chief Mark Jamison

The Trump Administration has declared war on illegal immigrants, but local police chiefs say it’s not their job to be on the front lines.

“We don’t have the authority” to seek or arrest immigrants based on their legal status, said Sean Dunn, Williamsburg’s police chief. “Immigration enforcement is a federal enforcement issue, not a local issue.”

“We’re not going to go door to door looking for people”, echoed James City County Police Chief Mark Jamison. “We’re here to police and serve”.

Their stance is not a political commentary on illegal immigration or the administration’s policies, but a reflection of the practical realities of their public safety jobs.

Both police chiefs said their primary responsibility is to keep the local populace safe, regardless of their immigration status.

They said they did not want to discourage residents who may not be here legally from reporting crimes such as domestic abuse or drug trafficking.

Dunn said Williamsburg’s community policing initiative, which he implemented, relies on gaining the trust of residents who can help law enforcement by reporting criminal activity without fear of retaliation.

Although they said they would assist if ICE (the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency) sought their help arresting a criminal fugitive, or controlling a dangerous situation, the chiefs said federal agents don’t normally go to them if they are picking up an illegal alien.

Neither police chief said they had been told of any raids in our area.

Home sales in the Historic Triangle dropped in 2024 for the second straight year with one exception – James City County.

Data provided to Williamsburg Watch by the chief economist at the Virginia Realtors group showed overall home sales in Williamsburg, James City and York County dropped by 4.5 percent in 2024, with a total of 2,684 homes sold.

Median home values continued to rise in all three localities, adding more pressure to affordability for first time home buyers.

“It’s been a perfect storm of affordability over the past two to three years,” said Kevin Onizuk, branch partner at Alcova Mortgage.

“Interest rates have come up from historical lows… home prices have increased, (as did) homeowners’ insurance costs (and property) taxes…it’s priced some folks out of the market.”

James City County, with the priciest homes in the area, nonetheless increased home sales by 2.8 percent over 2023. York County’s home sales volume dropped by 5.2 percent last year, while Williamsburg, with the smallest amount of housing stock, dropped 31 percent.

James City County had the most expensive median home price, according to Virginia Realtors. It climbed steadily from an average of $418,898 in 2022 to $449,458 at the end of 2024.

York County’s median home value was $418,885, an increase from $366,610 in 2022, and Williamsburg’s was $389,402, up from $341,729.

Nationwide, housing sales began to skid after 2022 as mortgage rates doubled.

The number of homes for sale also went down from past highs, Onizuk said. He explained homeowners who would normally look to either trade down or trade up were reluctant to double their interest expense on a new home.

He predicted current owners will consider changing homes when interest rates drop to 5 percent.

The combination of reduced supply and increased cost has been especially challenging for first time home buyers, he said.

What’s Your Vision For James City County?

You still have time to weigh in with your personal vision for James City County’s future.

A consultant working with the county on its strategic plan update says the result of an engagement survey last fall showed respondents like the quality of the county’s public services. Respondents said they were satisfied with its emergency response services, the county’s fiscal management and how it communicates to the public.

But, sounding familiar themes over the past few decades, county residents responding to the survey said they are unhappy with traffic, overdevelopment, and stormwater management.

The respondents suggested the county should add affordable housing to its list of goals, while at the same time maintaining the character of the community.

County supervisors got the word at their work session Tuesday. The county is in the process of updating the strategic plan it adopted in 2021, which lays out its vision for the county going forward.

Leigh Ann King of Clarion Associates summarized the result of public feedback received from a public workshop last September, as well as online comments submitted between Sept. 9 to Oct. 10.

Only a small percentage of the county’s more than 80,000 residents weighed in, and they are not necessarily a representative sample.

Consultants heard from 180 people, of whom 114 said they lived in the county.

Respondents skewed twice as old as the average James City County resident: 48 percent of respondents were 65 and older, and 28.3 percent were 55-64.

That is double the two groups’ share of the county population, but King said, “this is very common, we find this across most communities where we do public engagement work.”

“I’m always anxious to have a larger sampling size,” said County Administrator Scott Stevens. But he said there will be another public hearing later this year, so “it’s not too late” for residents to comment.

The consulting group said it planned to finish its work by fall.