Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is sending a loud, unambiguous message to activists who think they can obstruct federal law enforcement: interference will be met with prosecution. That message was delivered loud and clear last week in Charlottesville, Virginia, after two left-wing protesters attempted to block ICE agents from arresting two foreign nationals with criminal records outside the Albemarle County Courthouse.
@ICEgov at Charlottesville Courthouse. Masked women tangle w/ federal agents. “Do not impede me…or I am calling the US Attorney and prosecuting you for an assault on a federal officer.”
Hispanic man had just appeared in hearing for assault. pic.twitter.com/x3tbMTcBw9— C’villeBubble (@CvilleBubble) April 23, 2025
The incident began after ICE agents arrived to detain Pablo Aparicio Marcelino, a Mexican national with multiple DUI charges, and Teodoro Dominguez-Rodriguez, a Honduran national charged with leaving the scene of an accident. Both men had just exited court hearings for unrelated misdemeanor offenses. As they were being taken into custody, two masked activists—identified by video footage and social media posts as members of the “UVA Dissenters”—physically placed themselves between the agents and the men being detained.
Despite repeated verbal warnings from ICE, the activists refused to back down and demanded arrest warrants be shown—a legal demand that ICE agents are not required to honor for administrative immigration detentions in public spaces. According to Sheriff Chan Bryant, ICE agents had already presented badges and proper documentation to courthouse bailiffs, making the legality of the arrest procedures beyond question.
This disruption at the Albemarle County Courthouse appears to have been instigated by @UVA‘s chapter of Dissenters, who shared images of officers and then directed their followers to the courthouse.
Is this what obstruction of justice looks like? https://t.co/p2SibOETuy pic.twitter.com/Zgj6MNCOGE
— Stu (@thestustustudio) April 24, 2025
The conflict escalated when Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Hingeley, who has received funding from organizations linked to George Soros, announced an inquiry into what he characterized as a “courthouse raid.” ICE promptly fired back.
“It is shameful,” said an ICE spokesman, “that the Commonwealth Attorney, a sworn officer of the court and fellow law enforcement officer, has decided to prioritize politics over public safety.”
Indeed, ICE is preparing criminal charges against the two activists, citing obstruction and potential violations of Virginia Code § 18.2-422, which prohibits the wearing of masks to conceal identity during public demonstrations. While there are exceptions—such as for health or religious reasons—political anonymity is not protected under the statute.
This wasn’t a case of curious bystanders, despite local media attempts to spin it that way. The UVA Dissenters group reportedly posted photos and identifying details of ICE agents and vehicles involved, a tactic increasingly used by far-left activists to doxx law enforcement and intimidate federal officers.
ICE’s response highlights a growing divide in local-federal cooperation on immigration enforcement. While activists and progressive prosecutors seek to frustrate detention efforts, ICE continues to operate under federal authority and has every right to apprehend removable aliens with criminal records, regardless of how “low-level” their charges may appear to some.
Let’s not lose sight of who’s being defended here:
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Marcelino: Repeated DUI offenses — a crime that kills over 10,000 Americans every year.
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Rodriguez: Fleeing the scene of an accident — a crime that endangers lives and obstructs justice.
These are not harmless, “nonviolent” individuals merely swept up in a bureaucratic dragnet. They are in violation of U.S. immigration law, with criminal histories to boot.
