RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Bills that would make it illegal on a state level for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to make arrests without a judicial warrant at facilities like courthouses, hospitals and schools are moving through the Virginia House of Delegates and state Senate. O n Friday, Feb. 6, the House Committee on Public Safety combined multiple bills into proposed House Bill 650, introduced by chief patron Del. Katrina Callsen (D-Albemarle), which would place safeguards on facilities like courthouses, hospitals and schools against immigration enforcement. The incorporated parts of the bill are derived from proposed bills by Democratic chief patrons Del. Irene Shin (HB1260), Del. Alfonso Lopez (HB1440 and HB1442) and Del. Jackie Glass (HB1265). The House read the merged bill for the first time on Feb. 10. The proposed merged bill comes after Virginia has seen ICE detainments at courthouses and other locations statewide, including 16 at the Chesterfield Courthouse in July 2025. Courthouses Under the bill, ICE agents would not be allowed to make arrests at courthouses unless they provide local law enforcement or security personnel with their identification, state that the reason for their entry is to make an arrest, and present a judicial warrant authorizing the arrest. In addition, the bill stipulates that local law enforcement officers or security personnel cannot knowingly allow ICE agents to enter the courthouse without a judicial warrant, which must be reviewed and confirmed as authentic. If an ICE arrest were made in violation of those requirements, the bill would hold that the ICE agent or person who facilitated or assisted in the arrest would be held in contempt of court and could be subject to a civil lawsuit. State-owned or operated facilities, as well as hospitals, health care facilities, schools, higher education institutions and Commonwealth's attorney offices The bill would also place protections on state-owned or operated facilities, as well as hospitals, health care buildings, preschools, primary schools, middle schools, vocational or trade schools, public institutions of higher education and the Commonwealth's attorney offices. ICE agents who visit any of the above facilities would be required to present a valid judicial warrant. Under the bill, employees of any of the above facilities who allow ICE agents to enter to identify, arrest or penalize a person would be punishable by a Class 1 misdemeanor. Schools' communication plans for ICE notification School boards are already required to have crisis, emergency management and medical emergency response plans. The bill would allow school boards, if desired, to add a plan for notifying school board employees and parents in the event of an ICE presence on school property. If the procedure were added, the bill outlines possible inclusions, such as a requirement that the school division's superintendent notify school board members and students' parents in the event of an ICE presence, among others. Public colleges and universities' communication Under the bill, public colleges and universities would be required to notify students, faculty and staff in the event of an ICE presence, including the date, time and location of such presence on campus. The bill would require the omission of any personally identifying information of a possible targeted person. It also allows colleges and universities to include links to resources and information in those notifications. Public colleges and universities would also be required to implement a policy that prohibits ICE arrests in nonpublic campus areas without a valid judicial warrant. Polling places and elections The bill would also bar ICE agents from enforcing immigration laws within 40 feet of the entrances of polling places. ICE agents would also be barred from enforcing immigration law within 40 feet of buildings in which local electoral boards are meeting to ascertain the results of an election. In addition, the bill would prohibit ICE from going within 40 feet of a building in which a vote recount was occurring. ...read more read less