Virginia's Republican governor and Democrats who control the General Assembly are clashing over immigration.
Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin has a message for local governments across Virginia.
"You must cooperate with lawful U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers. This is not a decision for people to make locally," he says. "This is for the betterment of all our safety. We’re not a sanctuary state, and therefore we are not going to support localities that are declared sanctuary cities."
But withholding money from law enforcement is an approach that Democrats are rejecting.
"Well, I'm shocked to hear a Republican talk about defunding the police over anything," says Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell. He says local governments are already making people convicted of violent crimes available to federal immigration officials. But if ICE doesn't pick them up, Surovell says, that's on them.
"We already considered the governor's idea to defund the police over immigration, and we rejected it already. We’re not going to go back and change our mind."
Members of the General Assembly will be back in Richmond next month to consider hundreds of budget amendments from the governor – part of an ongoing back and forth to balance the books before the fiscal year starts in July.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
