Earlier this month, Richmond’s South Side witnessed a significant event when two vehicles with tinted windows sped down Hull Street, creating a blockade for a car waiting to turn left into a neighborhood predominantly inhabited by Latino residents.
Accompanying a group of concerned residents documenting the activities of federal immigration agents, VPM News observed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers disembarking from a vehicle, their tactical vests adorned with the word “POLICE” and “ICE.” The agents approached a vehicle from both sides, conducting an encounter that lasted only a few minutes before driving away without any arrests. Nearby, students awaited their school bus, observing the situation unfold.
Residents of the Southwood Apartments, home to a significant portion of Richmond’s Latino community, report that federal agents visit the complex daily. These sightings have become routine, characterized by cars with tinted windows lurking in parking lots and personnel allegedly taking photographs of license plates. Some families have even captured videos of individuals restraining workers arriving in the early morning.
Unsettled Community Dynamics
A resident expressed her concerns, saying that Southwood no longer feels like the vibrant community it once was. “It’s become the saddest place,” she lamented. The constant presence of ICE has engendered a sense of insecurity affecting the daily lives of residents, irrespective of their immigration status. This immigrant, who moved from Mexico four years prior and wished to remain anonymous, described the chilling impact of these encounters. “They passed right by me… I don’t know how to act. Any action feels dangerous,” she conveyed in Spanish.
In early April, during her children’s spring break, a local resident remarked on the overwhelming presence of ICE in Southwood. “Just three days ago, they took two young men,” she explained, pointing to the eerie sight of abandoned backpacks and shoes in the parking lot as evidence of a typical workday cut short. “These individuals are contributing to this country’s fabric, and one wonders what it would be without them,” she reflected.
According to the Deportation Data Project, from January to April 2025, ICE apprehended approximately 14,000 individuals in Virginia, with over 3,000 of those arrests linked to the Richmond ICE Field Office in Chesterfield County. Residents of Southwood reported witnessing four arrests during spring break alone, underscoring the escalating tension in their community.
VPM News reached out to ICE seeking confirmation on the number of enforcement operations at Southwood Apartments since January 2025, but the agency did not respond. Residents voiced their frustrations, questioning why ICE operations seem concentrated only within Southwood and speculating whether management at Southwood Apartments could be alerting ICE to their presence.
Community Monitoring and Resistance
Before witnessing the recent ice incident, VPM News met with two women outside an ICE field office near Midlothian Turnpike. They were gathering to observe ICE operations, seeking to protect their neighbors. Their efforts reflect a growing national movement aimed at documenting and resisting ICE activities in cities facing intensified enforcement. In Richmond, informal monitoring groups have emerged throughout the city.
One observer, a Chesterfield resident, remarked on the local impact, stating, “While it may not be as prominent as nationwide reports suggest, people’s lives here are undeniably being disrupted by ICE.” Many were surprised to discover that an established ICE field office operates in Richmond, executing various functions from enforcement to case management.
Residents have raised concerns about the field office’s location in a business district that includes a daycare and a doctor’s office, highlighting the stark contrast between everyday life and the disruptions caused by ICE activities. Observations made between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. revealed ICE agents frequently exiting their field offices, often in SUVs and sedans with illegal window tints that mark them as law enforcement vehicles.
Residents are now banding together, keeping close track of ICE activities while advocating for greater transparency regarding the agency’s operations. One Richmond resident exemplified this proactive approach, waking at 4 a.m. daily to observe ICE actions. “Documentation is essential. We are exercising our First Amendment rights by witnessing and recording their activities,” she stated, emphasizing the importance of community engagement in these critical moments.
In conjunction with grassroots monitoring efforts, a digital network is rapidly gaining traction. A Facebook group co-founded by Ashley and Monique, dedicated to sharing timely information about ICE operations, has grown from just 47 members since its launch last October to over 12,000 today. Both volunteers emphasize the importance of creating awareness and community solidarity amidst these challenges.
Facing an Uncertain Future
As uncertainty looms over the community, one Southwood resident articulated the pervasive anxiety that grips those in her neighborhood, contemplating moving away. “Living here has become a source of immense stress,” she shared, heart-wrenchingly. “I came here with dreams and hopes, believing that I would find a better life, but now we live in fear, unable even to dream,” she concluded.
As ICE continues its enforcement activities, community members remain dedicated to their mission of documenting and resisting these actions, striving to foster a sense of safety and belonging in their neighborhoods despite increasingly challenging circumstances.
