Spanberger moves to limit federal immigration enforcement on state property
Spanberger moves to limit federal immigration enforcement on state property
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed House Bill 1482, Senate Bill 352 and Executive Order 16 in response to what her office calls increased and aggressive federal immigration enforcement in Virginia.
RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed House Bill 1482, Senate Bill 352 and Executive Order 16 this week in response to what her administration described as increasingly aggressive federal immigration enforcement activity across the Commonwealth.
Order limits ICE use of state property
Executive Order 16 directs state agencies to establish clear protocols for employees if immigration enforcement activity occurs at polling locations, courthouses, Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ offices, health care facilities or public schools.
The order also calls for the creation of a statewide "Know Your Rights" website for Virginians.
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According to the Spanberger administration, immigration-related detentions in Virginia increased sharply between January 2025 and March 2026, and about 30% of those detained during that period had prior criminal convictions.
What they're saying:
"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 in a statement. "Public trust in state and local law enforcement is being undermined by the aggressive tactics used by federal immigration officials."
"Today, Virginia is taking important steps to help deepen trust in our law enforcement and provide clear guidance to Virginians who are most likely to interact with federal immigration officials," she added.
The other side:
In response, ICE criticized the executive order, saying it could hinder cooperation between federal and local law enforcement agencies.
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"It’s disappointing that the recent Virginia Executive Order aims to limit cooperation with ICE, as our law enforcement are simply fulfilling their sworn duties to serve and protect our communities," the agency said in a statement provided to FOX 5 D.C.
ICE also pushed back on concerns about enforcement activity at sensitive locations.
"ICE does not conduct planned operations targeting polling locations; furthermore, ICE is not going to schools, hospitals or churches to execute arrests," the agency added. "ICE conducts intelligence-driven targeted enforcement."
The agency said that arrests could still occur near sensitive locations if there is an active public safety threat, saying the Trump administration "will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement and instead trusts them to use common sense."
"ICE remains committed to finding constructive ways to work with state and local partners to uphold public safety," the statement concluded.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the office of Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).