WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (D- VIRGIN ISLANDS) will host community meetings this weekend following growing concerns of DHS immigration operations and arrests. She said these meetings are a chance to learn more about the community’s concerns and to share resources with locals about their rights.
“I warned people back in January this was going to reach the Virgin Islands and here we are,” said Del. Plaskett.
Del. Plaskett said she and her office are aware and concerned of the videos circulating across the Islands regarding the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration operations and raids.
“The Virgin Islands is a place where people come for the American dream,” said Del. Plaskett. “Whether that’s because they were persecuted at home, whether its because there were no opportunities in their home or where they are, whether they are chasing an ideal that we as Americans need to keep forward and we all need to be concerned. “The manner in which they’re arresting people does not comport with us as Americans. Whether you’re a citizen or not a citizen, you still have rights in the United States.”
This weekend, the Congresswoman is hosting community meetings as a place for locals to share their concerns. Her office will also provide fliers sharing “know your rights” information.
“We’re asking shop owners to distribute it or keep them up so the people know what their rights are,” said Del. Plaskett. “So they know how they can contact someone if they are detained, if they are stopped and let’s not be fooled that they are only picking up people who are undocumented. We’ve had incidents of American citizens have been picked up, detained and held for periods of time before they’ve been able to identify themself as an American to then be released.”
In an email from DHS, they said ICE and HSI (Homeland Security Investigation) have been “enforcing the immigration laws aligned with President Trump’s executive order Protecting the American People Against Invasion in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.” They add these are “enforcement operations to identify individuals that are present in the US without a legal immigration status.”
According to their data, they’ve made more than 1,700 arrests since January 2025. 186 of them included individuals they claim have criminal actions against them. The others were administrative. DHS said out of the more than 40 nationalities of people arrested, the most are from the Dominican Republic. A faraway second is Haiti and then Venezuela.
The Administration has been heavily scrutinized for their immigration and enforcement tactics, which has resulted in operations and raids across the US, deportations and shootings in US cities.
Plaskett hopes the community meetings this weekend will not only share information, but to also show support for people in the community impacted by the operations.
“Those are the children in your classrooms, those are the families that work on construction sites, that work in our kitchens, that work all over these Virgin Islands and these are our grandparents and aunts and cousins as well,” said Del. Plaskett.
Meetings information:
St. Thomas/ St. John: Saturday, March 28, 2026. 6:00pm – 8:30pm. Memorial Moravian Church, Norre Gade.
St. Croix: Sunday, March 29, 2026. 6:00pm- 8:30pm. American Legion Myron G. Danielson Post 85 (Christiansted).
