Ugh, this is craziness!
“Despite having a special visa granted for his family’s help to the United States military in Afghanistan, a local high school student was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Friday.
ICE agents arrested Arman Momand shortly after a court appearance at the Henrico County courthouse. Momand faced charges for a driving incident in December 2024, in which he was arrested by police for reckless driving, evading police and driving without a license.
Several other felony charges were tacked on due to Momand having underage friends in the backseat, but the charges were ultimately dropped by Henrico prosecutors. The case was resolved — Momand pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and reckless driving — with no jail time ordered by the judge.”
See below for reactions by State Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-Henrico) and State Senator Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield/Richmond) to this. As Sen. VanValkenburg says, “this is wrong” and “they should release Momand immediately.” And as Sen. Hashmi says, “Arman Momand is a high school student with a valid visa whose father ‘made significant contributions to the U.S. Government’ in Afghanistan,” and “When ICE agents arrest immigrants with legal status like Arman Momand, they erode necessary trust between communities and law enforcement, making everyone less safe.”
Hashmi Statement on Arrest of Student on Valid Visa
Richmond — State Senator Ghazala Hashmi (D-SD15), Democratic Nominee for Lieutenant Governor, released the following statement following reports of the arrest by ICE agents of a local student on a valid visa in Henrico County this morning:
“Arman Momand is a high school student with a valid visa whose father ‘made significant contributions to the U.S. Government’ in Afghanistan. When ICE agents arrest immigrants with legal status like Arman Momand, they erode necessary trust between communities and law enforcement, making everyone less safe.
Virginia must be a place where all people are treated with dignity, respect, and fairness under the rule of law. I will work with our federal officials to address this overreach by ICE agents.”
