This story was reported and written by our media partner, the Virginia Mercury.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger within just 24 hours vetoed two legislative packages aimed at limiting federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Virginia while simultaneously signing other measures targeting masked federal agents and issuing a sweeping executive order governing how ICE officers may operate on state property.
The mixed actions frustrated and baffled some Democratic lawmakers who argue Spanberger is sending conflicting signals on immigration enforcement and other legislative priorities during a period of growing fear surrounding ICE operations across Virginia.
The moves highlighted the careful line Spanberger has tried to maintain during her first six months in office. She has repeatedly criticized federal immigration enforcement tactics while resisting proposals she argues could create legal conflicts, public safety concerns or unintended consequences.
The immigration decisions came alongside a wider set of vetoes touching on legal cannabis retail, prescription drug regulation, election administration, higher education governance and criminal justice policy — angering some Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups that had expected more support from a Democratic governor.
Mixed immigration signals
Among the most controversial vetoes were House Bill 1392 and Senate Bill 83, companion measures intended to standardize courthouse security procedures in Virginia and ease restrictions on attorneys carrying electronic devices or bypassing some security screening requirements.
The bills’ patrons said the legislation was partly intended to limit opportunities for federal immigration agents to detain people at courthouses, a practice immigration advocates argue discourages immigrants from appearing in court or accessing legal services.
But Spanberger rejected the measures, saying she was unconvinced they would improve safety.
“Without additional study or a clear public safety benefit, I do not support mandating new statewide security screening exemptions for attorneys at courthouses,” the governor — a former law enforcement official herself — wrote in her veto statement.
“Any such statewide changes to security protocols should be based on clear evidence that such changes would have no impact on — or ideally, improve — public safety.”
The decision drew immediate criticism from Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, who is an attorney, and the legislation’s sponsors, Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim, D-Fairfax, and Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra, D-Fairfax.
In a joint statement, the lawmakers said they were “deeply disappointed” by the veto and argued the governor misunderstood both the legislation and existing courthouse practices.
“The governor’s stated concern, that allowing attorneys to bypass security screening poses a public safety risk, misreads both the bills and the people they cover,” they said, arguing attorneys are licensed professionals subject to Virginia State Bar discipline and criminal penalties for the misuse of credentials.
The lawmakers also noted that law enforcement officers already routinely bypass courthouse screening procedures.
“The very population the current system trusts to skip screening has a documented misconduct rate higher than the population the governor’s veto deems too risky to extend the same courtesy,” they said.
They also argued that the veto preserves what they described as a “scattershot patchwork of local rules” that creates confusion and delays for attorneys and clients statewide.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia also criticized Spanberger’s decision, arguing the governor undermined protections lawmakers intended to create for immigrants and courthouse visitors.
“Lawmakers recognized that when ICE agents can make warrantless arrests inside Virginia courthouses, the rule of law itself is under attack — so they took decisive action to protect it,” ACLU of Virginia Policy Director Chris Kaiser said in a statement.
“It is shocking that Gov. Spanberger would choose to veto the protections these bills would have provided and replace them with an executive order that does nothing to keep Virginians safe.”
On Wednesday, Spanberger still took several steps aimed at addressing concerns surrounding federal immigration enforcement in Virginia.
She signed HB 1482 and SB 352, which increase transparency and accountability requirements for law enforcement officers operating in the commonwealth. The legislation comes amid national scrutiny over federal immigration agents conducting operations while masked or without visible identification.
“Law enforcement officers wearing masks on American streets undercut basic expectations of accountability, sow fear and confusion, and erode the public trust,” Spanberger said in a statement.
The governor said Virginians had witnessed “the horrors of what can occur when masked federal immigration enforcement agents engage in fear-based policing and enforcement theatre on American streets.”
Executive order addresses ICE activity
Also on Wednesday, Spanberger issued Executive Order 16, directing state agencies and institutions to establish guidance for employees interacting with federal immigration officers at sensitive locations including schools, hospitals, courthouses, polling places and commonwealth attorneys’ offices.
The order bars state property from being used as a staging area, processing site or operational base for federal civil immigration enforcement activity. It also requires state agencies to verify federal officers seeking access to state property possess valid warrants or other legal authorization.
The order additionally directs state agencies to create online resources explaining residents’ legal rights and allowing reports of alleged misconduct by federal agents.
“Kids in elementary school are afraid to get on the bus, neighbors fear being targeted based on their appearance at the grocery store, and workers are not showing up at their jobs,” Spanberger said. “Public trust in state and local law enforcement is being undermined by the aggressive tactics used by federal immigration officials.”
The executive order follows Spanberger’s veto of HB 650 and SB 351, legislation supporters said was intended to further limit immigration enforcement activities in sensitive areas.
Spanberger acknowledged the concerns behind the legislation but said the bills would create unworkable legal conflicts for local officials and security personnel.
“As a former law enforcement officer, I share many Virginians’ concerns regarding the dangerous and unchecked federal immigration enforcement actions we have seen across the country,” she wrote.
But the governor said the bills would place security staff and law enforcement “in the untenable position of choosing between violating state law or federal law.”
She also warned the legislation would create a false sense of legal protection for immigrant families.
The actions build on earlier immigration-related measures Spanberger approved last month, including legislation limiting cooperation agreements between local jails and ICE.
Broader vetoes frustrate Democrats
Immigration bills were only part of a much larger wave of vetoes that angered Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups this week.
On Tuesday, Spanberger vetoed bipartisan legislation that would have launched Virginia’s adult-use cannabis retail market, delaying legal marijuana sales in the commonwealth for at least another year. She also rejected legislation establishing a Prescription Drug Affordability Board intended to lower certain medication costs statewide.
The governor also vetoed HB 111, dealing with voter roll maintenance, saying she supported the bill’s intent but worried it could create unintended burdens for grieving family members of deceased voters.
She rejected HB 61, which would have restructured Virginia’s Small, Women- and Minority-Owned Business program, arguing the changes could strip nearly 800 businesses of eligibility and reduce SWaM spending by at least $340 million.
Spanberger also vetoed HB 246 and SB 335, saying the proposals would create inconsistent legal standards involving defendants with mental illness or developmental disabilities.
Other vetoes include HB 639, dealing with private funding and gifts for election administration; HB 1173 and SB 258, which would have added menopause and perimenopause protections to the Virginia Human Rights Act; HB 1222, involving mandatory recordings of child welfare interviews; and HB 1385 and SB 494, which proposed changes to higher education governance that Spanberger said risked further politicizing Virginia universities.
“I support the intent of many of the bills I am vetoing,” Spanberger said in a statement summarizing her actions, “however, it is my responsibility as governor to make sure all new laws can be successfully implemented and protect against unintended consequences that harm Virginians.”
At the same time, Spanberger highlighted major legislation that she did sign this year, including measures expanding paid family and medical leave, capping insulin costs and addressing housing, healthcare and energy affordability.
“With the chaos out of Washington continuing to raise prices and create uncertainty for families and businesses alike, we have shown Virginians that we can deliver to make our communities safer, stronger, and more affordable for all,” the governor said.