Policy Update: Federalization of DC, immigration, civil and voting rights, DEI

• Trump Administration Launches “Anti-Crime” Campaign by Federalizing DC Police, Activating DC National Guard, and Installing Federal Agents

•  Virginia Department of Social Services Starts Sharing Food Stamp Recipient Info with Immigration Enforcement Agencies

•  Anti-Defamation League Names Virginia as a “Leading State” Fighting Antisemitism

•  Voting Rights Act Celebrates 60 Years, Stay Abreast of Virginia Voting Info on NASWVA Microsite

• VCU Reviews 60-Plus Scholarships for Possible Federal Anti-DEI Risk

DC HOME RULE: Hundreds of FBI and other federal agents spread throughout the District starting August 9 as part of the Trump administration’s stated mission to “immediately clear out the city’s homeless population and take swift action against crime,” despite data showing that the city’s violent crime rate has dropped 26% in the past year to a 30-year low. The 30-day surge of force is the latest in President Trump’s threats against DC home rule, and he wrote Monday on Truth Social that the city would be “LIBERATED today!” FBI agents—along with 800 newly deployed DC National Guard service members and a now-federalized DC police force of 3,000—are assigned to “assist” local law enforcement in stopping crime, immigration infractions, and drug trafficking. Agents also are directed to move unhoused people “FAR from the Capital” to unstated locations. Civil rights groups are accusing the administration of expanding its use of the legally nonpartisan military as a “partisan weapon” against fellow Americans and other domestic residents to weaken the constitutional separation of powers, undermine local authority, and violate the Posse Comitatus Act. Ironically, only days ago, the revamped Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced it would cut 44% ($20 million) of security funding for DC under the FY 2025 Homeland Security Grant Program, the largest drop in the nation. NASW has long supported home rule for the District.

IMMIGRATION: Virginia Department of Social Services has begun sharing personal information such as social security numbers and addresses of all food stamp (SNAP) recipients with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as part of federal efforts to track down undocumented migrants. President Trump demanded the data in a May Executive Order. In addition, immigration agents arrested a Tucker High School student at a Henrico County courthouse Monday who holds a temporary protective status visa after resettling due to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The detention occurred after a federal judge allowed Trump to lift the TPS of thousands of Afghans July 22. Afghans comprise the largest immigrant population in Virginia.    

CIVIL RIGHTS: The Anti-Defamation League has named Virginia as one of nine “leading states” that meet its standards for combating antisemitism, according to a new report. The organization lauded Virginia’s laws, public commitments, and policies such as creation of a Commission to Combat Antisemitism, Gov. Youngkin’s orders to boost safety on university campuses and create a tracking system for antisemitism reports in schools. The state had 168 “Israel-related antisemitism” incidents in 2024, but some critics say the tally unfairly labels any student protests critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza as “antisemitic.” ADL is asking state delegates to introduce bills banning boycotts of Israel.

VOTING RIGHTS: Sixty years ago, the Voting Rights Act changed history. Did you know social workers were on the front lines then—and are still called to fight for fair, accessible voting today? To counter common misinformation and disinformation, NASW Virginia publishes accurate voting information on its Virginia Voting Info microsite such as registration deadlines, special elections dates (Sept. 9), links to popular sections on the Virginia Department of Elections website, and FAQs.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION: Virginia Commonwealth University has reviewed more than 60 scholarships and cut or rewritten language that mentions race from funding opportunities that sought to help students from specific demographic groups such African Americans and students in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. New provisions have broader language aimed at collecting student backgrounds in other ways. The U.S. Department of Justice recently issued federal guidance claiming that race-based scholarships are illegal, but some legal scholars say that is “only the department’s current interpretation of the law, not the law itself.” A 2023 US Supreme Court ruling banned race-sensitive admissions decisions, but that case did not include scholarship requirements. However, numerous universities have begun “overcomplying” with the decision, say critics, to reduce potential risk of federal investigations in the current climate