Virginia Governor Spanberger Rescinds Youngkin ICE Cooperation Order
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger rescinded Executive Order 47, ending state and local law enforcement directives to cooperate with ICE's 287(g) immigration enforcement program today, officially.
Overview
Who: Governor Abigail Spanberger signed an executive action rescinding former Gov. Glenn Youngkin's Executive Order 47, which had directed Virginia state and local law enforcement to assist ICE.
What: The repeal ends Virginia's formal participation in the federal 287(g) program, removing directives that encouraged officers to identify and detain undocumented immigrants for federal authorities.
When/Where: Spanberger signed the order on her first day as governor in Richmond, following Youngkin's 2025 directive and campaign promises about public safety and immigration.
How: Spanberger argued state and local officers should focus on core duties—investigating crime, staffing jails, and community policing—rather than enforcing federal civil immigration laws.
Reaction: Immigrant advocates praised the move as protecting communities from fear of deportation; Republicans warned it could undermine public safety and politicize immigration enforcement.
Analysis
Analysis unavailable for this viewpoint.
Sources (3)
FAQ
The 287(g) program, added to the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1996, authorizes ICE to enter agreements with state and local law enforcement, deputizing officers to perform immigration functions like identifying and detaining removable immigrants under ICE oversight.
Executive Order 47, signed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin in February 2025, directed Virginia State Police and Department of Corrections to enter 287(g) agreements with ICE, deputizing troopers for task force immigration enforcement and training corrections officers, while requiring local jails to certify cooperation with ICE.
Since Youngkin's 287(g) agreement early last year, ICE detained over 6,200 people in Virginia by November; ICE data indicates about 70% of those detained in Virginia's two ICE facilities had no criminal record.
Gov. Spanberger argued that state and local officers should focus on core duties like investigating crime, staffing jails, and community policing rather than enforcing federal civil immigration laws.
Immigrant advocates praised it for protecting communities from deportation fears; Republicans, like House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, called it reckless, arguing it shields criminal immigrants and undermines public safety.
History
This story does not have any previous versions.