This story was reported and written by VPM News.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed an executive directive Wednesday instructing the state’s law enforcement agencies to terminate agreements that allowed them to be deputized to conduct federal immigration enforcement activities.
A statement from Spanberger’s office reads in part: “Governor Spanberger today directed Virginia’s state law enforcement agencies and divisions — Virginia State Police, Virginia Department of Corrections, Virginia Conservation Police, and Virginia Marine Police — to terminate all existing 287(g) agreements with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE). These agreements placed Virginia law enforcement officers under federal control and supervision to conduct civil immigration enforcement.”
Spanberger’s Republican predecessor, Glenn Youngkin, ordered state law enforcement agencies to enter 287(g) agreements roughly a year ago as part of a nationwide immigration crackdown desired by President Donald Trump.
On her first day in office last month, Spanberger, a Democrat, signed 10 executive orders — one of which rescinded Youngkin’s order, which also encouraged local law enforcement bodies to enter similar agreements. But that order merely eliminated Youngkin’s directive, rather than dissolving the agreements themselves.
Spanberger also signed an executive order Wednesday laying out priorities and principles for state law enforcement, including de-emphasizing “fear-based policing, enforcement theater, or actions that create barriers to people seeking assistance in their time of need” in favor of policing meant to build community trust.
“I think it's extraordinarily important to make sure that we are celebrating and honoring and recognizing the strong vetting, the strong training and the incredibly high standards that here in the Commonwealth of Virginia we hold our law enforcement agencies to,” Spanberger told reporters at the state capitol.
The governor said she wants Virginia law enforcement officers to focus on their duties, rather than answering to federal immigration enforcement.
“As governor, I think that members of the Virginia State Police or members of the Department of Corrections should be working under and at the direction and supervision of the leadership within their agencies,” Spanberger said.
She alluded to “tactics of federal agents” threaten public trust.
“Sadly, the bad tactics, the bad training, the bad vetting that we have seen or witnessed or perceived in places like Minnesota, that is degrading trust in law enforcement,” Spanberger said.
House of Delegates Minority Leader Terry Kilgore (R–Lee) criticised the directive in a statement.
"This decision weakens public safety and cuts off cooperation that helped law enforcement remove dangerous criminals from our communities. Virginians deserve honesty, not spin," Kilgore said.
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