Members of Arlington’s General Assembly delegation are condemning the actions of federal immigration officers during an August encounter that left a man seriously injured and is now under investigation by county police.
Virginia Sens. Barbara Favola and Elizabeth Bennett-Parker and Dels. Patrick Hope, Adele McClure and Alfonso Lopez issued a joint statement criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the Aug. 11 encounter involving José Mejía Hernández along Columbia Pike.
“The recent incident involving José Mejía Hernández in Arlington is one example of the federal government’s deeply troubling, unlawful assault on residents in our community,” the lawmakers said.
The delegation said incidents in which people are seriously injured during encounters with law enforcement raise concerns about training, excessive force and constitutional rights.
“When people are afraid of law enforcement, they are less likely to report crimes, cooperate with investigations, or seek help when they need it,” the lawmakers said.
They also expressed support for Arlington County police and said creating safe communities means “not cooperating with federal actions that are unsanctioned by the courts.”
Arlington police said detectives met Aug. 28 with Mejía Hernández, who filed a police report alleging several possible criminal violations stemming from the encounter.
Those allegations include aggravated malicious wounding, malicious wounding, assault and battery, reckless driving and failure to stop after a crash.
“The investigation into the circumstances of the incident is ongoing,” police said.
Mejía Hernández has said he was walking to work when he encountered federal immigration officers and was seriously injured while trying to flee. He was later hospitalized with a brain injury.
ICE has disputed his account, saying Mejía Hernández attempted to evade arrest and officers used necessary force to take him into custody.
Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti previously called for a full investigation into the incident and said her office helped arrange for Mejía Hernández to meet with police.
Members of Virginia’s congressional delegation have also called for answers about what happened and supported the police investigation.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.