Virginia AG Jay Jones faces questions on schools and ICE cooperation
FULL INTERVIEW: Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones dodges stance on school bathroom case
In an exclusive interview, FOX 5's Katie Barlow sits down with Virginia's Attorney General Jay Jones to press him on his position on school gender policy, ICE cooperation and more.
RICHMOND, Va. - Newly elected Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones started working on day one, pushing back against the Trump administration and securing settlements for the commonwealth’s consumers. But some of his positions on major issues remain unclear.
The backstory:
Attorney General Jay Jones won his election in November by nearly seven points, a decisive victory after overcoming controversy during the campaign.
His win over incumbent Republican Jason Miyares was eight times the margin of Miyares’ victory over his Democratic challenger in 2021.
Voters elected him on a platform of change.
Jay Jones on schools and gender identity
Dig deeper:
His office is responsible for defending the commonwealth, enforcing its laws, protecting consumers and filing briefs in major court cases.
One such case is the Fairfax County School Board’s lawsuit against the Trump administration over federal funding restrictions.
The Department of Education accused FCPS of violating Title IX by implementing a policy allowing students to use facilities corresponding with their gender identity.
Jones withdrew a brief that Miyares submitted in the case, which is pending before a federal appeals court.
"I think one of the hallmarks of Virginia is that we have our independently elected school boards, and that they take input from parents, teachers, students on down the line, and we just want to be there to support, to interpret the law and enforce the law that’s on the books," said Jones to FOX 5's Katie Barlow.
Jones says when it comes to schools and gender identity, he's focused on "students having a high-quality education." He declined to weigh in on the FCPS case.
"My job is to enforce the laws that are on the books, and we’ll continue to do that. And if the law has changed, in the infinite wisdom of the General Assembly, we’ll certainly do that too. But right now, we’re focused on pushing back against federal overreach," said Jones. "We’re not going to politicize our students."
Jay Jones on ICE cooperation
Dig deeper:
On day one, Jones announced he was reviewing Miyares’ opinion that law enforcement could honor ICE detainers and cooperate with federal immigration officials, and that he would develop "clear guidance" balancing public safety and trust between communities and law enforcement.
It has been five weeks, and statewide guidance is not yet clear.
"The law on that is that they’re pursuing the policies for their communities to keep them as safe as humanly possible. Governor Spanberger has rescinded the executive order that Governor Youngkin put forth that mandated cooperation. And right now, those localities are in charge of their communities and their policies, and we support law enforcement, state and local, to do their jobs, which is to keep our communities safe," said Jones.