Virginia lawmakers have passed a slate of immigration bills that could reshape how local agencies interact with US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and where those actions can happen.
Two of the bills approved by the General Assembly — HB1441 and SB783 — focus on restricting 287(g) agreements by limiting how and when state and local officers may perform federal immigration enforcement functions. That includes barring informal cooperation with immigration enforcement without a valid judicial warrant.
Others focus on protecting spaces like courthouse buildings and schools from immigration enforcement. Legislation prohibiting law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings (with limited exceptions) also passed.
When Virginia's Legislature adjourned, state Sen. Saddam Salim (D–Fairfax) celebrated the passing of his bills: "Virginia is choosing the rule of law over fear, transparency over secrecy, and the safety and dignity of our communities over chaos and intimidation."
Salim added that his bills — SB351, SB352 and SB783 — sent a strong message: "Virginia will not be a staging ground for an unconstitutional mass deportation campaign."
Similar efforts moved through the House of Delegates, where lawmakers backed legislation aimed at setting those same limits statewide by addressing community safety, trust and fundamental constitutional rights of due process.
At the start of the legislative session, Del. Alfonso Lopez (D–Arlington) introduced HB1441, along with HB1440, which limited ICE action in schools and hospitals, and HB1442, which dealt with ICE actions around polling locations. HB1440 and HB1442 were later incorporated into HB650 from Del. Katrina Callsen (D–Charlottesville).
Lopez told VPM News that working on these bills has been some of the most important work in his 15-year career as a lawmaker.
"It's about relieving the fear that exists in some new American and immigrant communities, amongst undocumented — as well as documented and naturalized and US-born American citizen populations," Lopez said. "I'm very hopeful that we will get these bills signed into law."
Lopez said his bill targeting 287(g) agreements is especially significant, shifting the standard from administrative warrants to judicial warrants, which require court approval and add a layer of legal oversight before someone can be detained.
"Far too often, we're seeing federal immigration enforcement continue to act recklessly as they target not only immigrants who have committed no criminal act, but also naturalized and US American born citizens," Lopez said.
Virginia's participation in the federal 287(g) immigration enforcement program expanded rapidly in the last year of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's administration, going from zero agreements prior to 2025 to over 30. As a result, ICE arrests surged in 2025, with nearly 7,000 arrests reported between January and mid-October — nearly seven times 2024's arrests for that time frame.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger ordered state agencies in February to end their 287(g) agreements, but that directive does not apply to local bodies. As of March 20, 26 local law enforcement agencies and two regional jail authorities still have active ICE agreements in Virginia.
Abbey Philips, director of policy at Legal Aid Justice Center, said this legislative session resulted in enormous victories for immigrant rights.
"This is very night and day from where Virginia was a year ago," Philips said. "To be looking at these laws going into place to limit things like 287(g) agreements, when this time last year, there was a lot of encouragement to establish [those] agreements."
Both HB1441 and SB783 lay out several conditions that local law enforcement agencies must meet in order to enter or continue in existing 287(g) agreements. If even one of the conditions is not met, the agreement would have to be terminated. The Senate bill gives Virginia's attorney general the authority to enforce the conditions outlined in the bill.
Philips said the approved bills signal to the country that Virginia is taking a step to protect human rights. She said if signed into law, these bills will make it easier for immigrant families to report crime, send their children to schools and seek medical care without fear of detention.
"We are most certainly the first state in the South to take this step; to have a legislature pass something out that says all human beings have rights, and we're going to protect those rights, and if you want to do any kind of work in our commonwealth, you're going to have to abide by our laws and our constitution," Philips said.
Philips said the bills' passage is already bringing a sense of hope to the communities the center works with.
"They're trying to take a moment to celebrate what this could mean and honor the even current feeling of potential safety that's creating for so many individuals, and also just a moment to recognize people's humanity — they feel seen by knowing that the General Assembly cares for them and wants to keep them safe in this way," she said.
Spanberger has until April 13 to sign, veto or amend the bills.
Copyright 2026 VPM