As President Donald Trump looks to crack down on illegal immigration, Virginia’s lawmakers are debating what state police and jails should do when they arrest an undocumented immigrant.
Republican Delegate Bob Marshall of Manassas says sheriffs across Virginia should hold undocumented inmates in jail for an extra two days — if federal immigrations officials ask them to.
“Right now it's up to the state to decide whether or not you are going to enforce federal law, and in this case I say we should do that and most of my constituents say the same thing.”
Some counties in Virginia comply and hold inmates who are undocumented until federal officials can show up and deport them. Others, though, don’t comply — a group Marshall and others call “sanctuary cities.” Democratic Delegate Sam Rasoul of Roanoke says this bill -- and President Trump’s temporary travel ban -- share a common theme: a political wedge to divide people.
“The federal government needs to enforce their own immigration laws and not have the states or localities compensate for it, and this is just a political charade.”
Marshall had a similar bill last year, and it was vetoed by Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe. But Marshall hopes things plays out differently this year. President Trump is threatening to withhold federal funding from states and local governments that don’t comply with immigration authorities.