Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger is ending agreements between state law enforcement agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Governor Spanberger gave herself the authority to pull out of agreements with ICE on her first day in office, but Wednesday she decided to use it.
“These agreements improperly ceded discretion and authority over Virginia law enforcement to federal authorities,” Spanberger said in a statement. “I have full confidence that Virginia law enforcement agents are keeping Virginia safer when exercising their authority under Virginia law.”
She said the move came after a review of the agreements and stressed this rollback doesn't apply to non-related 287(g) agreements with the federal government and state agencies.
"And, importantly, any time there is a judicial warrant in hand, state and local law enforcement should be, and the expectation is, they should be cooperating with any other law enforcement agencies that might need their assistance," the governor added.
The move comes after two deaths at the hands of federal immigration agents shocked the nation and attempts to open immigration detention centers in Virginia saw bipartisan pushback.
During his term, former Governor Glenn Youngkin entered four state agencies into such agreements: Virginia State Police, Virginia Department of Corrections, Virginia Conservation Police, and Virginia Marine Police. But those relationships were terminated Wednesday, Spanberger's' office said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for VSP told radio IQ the agency "remains focused on lawfully protecting public safety and identifying and dismantling criminal enterprises that threaten the safety, dignity, and well-being of all who live in and travel through the Commonwealth of Virginia."
Among those who praised the roll back of the agreements was Fairfax Senator Saddam Salim. He' got legislation aiming to limit ICE arrests in state courthouses and said rolling back the agreements will help build relationships between law enforcement officers and the community.
"It's a step to keep law enforcement focused on public safety, not immigration enforcement, and rebuilds trust so immigrant communities aren't afraid to call for help," Salim told Radio IQ.
Immigration advocates also welcomed the change. Luis Aguilar is with CASA; he said the effort will likely manifest in how state police interact with immigrants on the state's roadways, particularly for non-citizens who have drivers privilege cards, not traditional state driver's licenses.
"This is going to manifest in building trust, in ensuring communities feel safer driving on the roads," Aguilar said in a phone call with Radio IQ. "ICE is still going to operate, but people can have trust in local and state agencies."
But the move is likely to draw the ire of conservatives. Bob Holsworth, a long-time political analyst in Richmond, pointed to the frequent airtime criticisms of Spanberger has received from conservative commentators and argued this would be added to the list.
“Republicans are going to try use this nationally to try and suggest once again, as they have been trying to do on Fox, that she’s really not a moderate,” Holsworth told Radio IQ.
When asked how Trump may respond to the move, Spanberger said she hadn't checked social media to see if the president reacted.
Spanberger also signed an executive order doubling down on her commitment to public safety. That EO says, among points, that “Public trust is a prerequisite to effective policing” and making sure “Virginia law enforcement does not engage in fear-based policing.”
The governor said recent reporting ICE is what's led to this new EO.
"Sadly, the bad tactics, the bad training, the bad vetting we've seen in places like Minnesota, its degrading trust in law enforcement," she said. "And I have strong trust in the law enforcement agencies in Virginia, and it's because of the values they adhere too."
