Luca Powell
Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.
RICHMOND, Va. — Gov. Abigail Spanberger issued a directive Wednesday commanding state law enforcement agencies to stop working with federal immigration enforcement under agreements required by her predecessor, Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
The directive primarily applies to the Virginia State Police, but also to other state agencies, such as the state prison system and the Marine Resources Commission, which also employ sworn officers.
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Spanberger made explicit that the withdrawal applies only to so-called 287(g) agreements, under which state officers were being deputized to work for the federal government. In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Spanberger said the decision flowed from a desire to preserve public trust in law enforcement.
“As Governor, I think that members of the Virginia State Police or members of the Department of Corrections should be working under, and under the direction of, leadership within their agencies,” Spanberger said. “Taking personnel, and basically giving them over to ICE, is something that ends today.”
Spanberger did not answer questions about whether she was worried about retaliation from the Trump administration.
Spanberger said her decision was a “line in the sand” that would allow Virginians to know what to expect from their law enforcement. In her directive, she said residents deserve to have their law enforcement “devoted to the safety and security of their communities, not federal civil immigration enforcement.”
Spanberger said the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti “brought the conversation to the forefront.”
“Sadly, the bad tactics, the bad training, the bad vetting that we have seen or witnessed or perceived in places like Minnesota, that is degrading trust in law enforcement,” Spanberger said. “I want to draw a very clear line in the sand and say I have strong trust in law enforcement in Virginia.”
Spanberger’s directive came after a review conducted by her cabinet. She said the participation by Virginia State Police, Virginia’s largest state law enforcement agency with around 1,800 sworn officers, so far had been “relatively minimal.”
Spanberger also issued an executive order establishing ethical guideposts for Virginia law enforcement — with tenets that include a commitment to upholding the constitution, public safety and preservation of human life. Her order directed state agencies to align with those values.
The state police remains a participant in the Virginia Homeland Security Task Force, an initiative that the Youngkin administration credited with the arrests of thousands of undocumented immigrants during the first year of the Trump administration. Robin Lawson, a spokesperson for the Virginia State Police, said the agency remains in the task force.
“Virginia State Police is participating on the Homeland Security Task Force operating in Virginia with a focus on investigating criminal activity,” Lawson said in an email last week.
The Office of the Attorney General, which was also a participant in the task force, did not return multiple requests for comment regarding whether the agency was still collaborating with the federal task force.
That afternoon, Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi announced her support for Spanberger’s two executive actions. Hashmi said the action “restores clarity and accountability.”
“I fully support this decisive step by Gov. Spanberger’s Administration to ensure our agencies operate justly, lawfully, and in service of all Virginians,” Hashmi said.
Republicans were quick to characterize the actions as an uppercut to public safety.
“This decision weakens public safety and cuts off cooperation that helped law enforcement remove dangerous criminals from our communities,” said House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R- Scott. “Virginians deserve honesty, not spin.”
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