immigration glossary
287g – A particular government agreement that deputizes local law enforcement officers to enforce
federal immigration laws.
CBP – Customs and Border Patrol
DACA – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals; temporary authorization to live and work in the
United States for certain individuals who arrived as children.
Deportation – forced removal from the United States
Detainer – A request from one law enforcement agency to another to hold an individual in custody
until a transfer can be arranged.
Detention – Usually owned and operated by for-profit prison companies, immigrant detention centers
hold individuals indefinitely while their cases are processed through the immigration court system.
Farmville – Virginia’s largest immigrant detention center, owned and operated by ICA.1
DHS – Department of Homeland Security; the branch of the federal government that includes ICE and
CBP.
DOJ – Department of Justice; the branch of the federal government that sets criminal justice
policy.
Dreamer – undefined; generally understood to be an undocumented person who arrived in the United
States as a child. *Not all “dreamers” are eligible for DACA.
FOIA – Freedom of Information Act
Green Card – Form of identification showing authorization to live and work in the United States.
I-247D ICE Detainer – Hold Request Form
I-247N ICE Detainer – Notification Request Form
ICA – Immigration Centers of America; the for-profit prison company that owns and operates the
Farmville Immigrant Detention Center. Investors are Ken Newsome, Warren Coleman, and Russell
Harper, all Richmond-based.
ICE – Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the agency that enforces federal immigration laws and is
responsible for mass deportations.
IGSA – Inter-Governmental Service Agreement; a formal agreement of cooperation between government
agencies.
Immigrant – A person living in a different country from where they were born.
Immigration Status – Federal designation that includes many categories in addition to ‘documented’
and ‘undocumented’.
Judicial Warrant – A constitutional warrant signed by a judge seeking a particular individual.
KYR – Know Your Rights
LPR – Legal Permanent Resident (a particular immigration status)
MOA/MOU – Memorandum of Agreement/Understanding; formal contract between two agencies.
Naturalized Citizen – A citizen who emigrated to the United States and has gone through the
naturalization process to attain the full rights and benefits of citizenship.
POA – Power of Attorney
Removal proceedings – The formal legal process to deport an individual
Sanctuary City – Undefined; Sanctuary Cities are generally understood to refrain from proactively
collaborating with ICE by adopting policies that limit the scope of law enforcement.
Sanctuary Congregation – Undefined; Sanctuary Congregations are generally understood to be
congregations willing to host an individual facing deportation while they fight their case.
Undocumented Immigrant – A person who lives in the United States without federal authorization.
People become undocumented in many different ways, most commonly through inability to renew a
temporary visa.
Visa (Immigrant) – Authorization to live and/or work in the United States with certain conditions.
There are many types of immigrant visas, most of which are temporary.
VPRJ – Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail; this facility leases beds to ICE.
1 https://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/the-alien-depot/Content?oid=1363030
Language Justice:
Some terms you won’t find in our glossary or toolkit include the “a-word”, the “i-word”, and the
“c-word”: alien, illegal, and criminal. These terms have been weaponized for the dehumanization of
people who are immigrants. If you are seeking an alternative, consider what it is that you want to
convey. A person residing in the United States without current authorization is “undocumented” or
“unauthorized”. Someone who has been convicted of a crime is “a person with a criminal record”.
Those who were born outside of our modern borders are “people who have migrated” or “people who are
immigrants”. Please note the “people-first” language. Our common values remind us to elevate human
dignity and amplify the voices of those who are oppressed. Using care in our choice of language is one way we work toward these values.