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Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Wednesday officially ended cooperation between a slate of state agencies and federal immigration authorities.
In an executive directive, Spanberger, who ran as a moderate, ended 287(g) agreements between the Virginia State Police, the state Department of Corrections, Department of Wildlife, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“These Agreements improperly ceded discretion and authority over Virginia law enforcement to federal authorities,” the order states. “I have full confidence that Virginia law enforcement agents are keeping Virginia safer when exercising their authority under Virginia law. Virginia always remains ready to enforce the law, and Virginia law enforcement will continue to exercise available authority under a valid judicial warrant.”
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Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has ended agreements between state law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The 287(g) program is a federal initiative that allows local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction and oversight, such as identifying illegal immigrants in local jails to prevent them from being released back into communities.
Upon taking office in January, Spanberger rescinded an executive order that compelled state law enforcement and encouraged local police and sheriff’s departments to deputize their officers to act as ICE agents, her office said.
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Abigail Spanberger cheers during a campaign rally in Henrico County, Virginia, in September 2025. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“Governor Spanberger removed the directive that Virginia law enforcement agencies divert focus from their core responsibilities — investigating crimes, enforcing state and local laws, and keeping Virginians safe,” a news release from the governor’s office states.
Spanberger and state Democrats have come under criticism from Republicans over limiting cooperation between local and federal immigration authorities.
“From her very first hours in office, Abigail Spanberger has shamefully smeared and defamed the brave men and women of ICE while launching bad-faith attacks on their efforts to identify, arrest, and deport violent criminal illegal aliens,” the Virginia Republican Party said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Now Fake Moderate Spanberger is attempting to turn Virginia into a sanctuary jurisdiction like her socialist friends in New York and California by banning state and local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.”
“Virginians deserve leaders who will use every available resource to arrest and prosecute violent criminals. Instead, Abigail Spanberger is putting Virginians in danger by shielding criminals from accountability to virtue signal to the left-wing mob. She should be ashamed of herself.”
The move came amid heightened tension in Minnesota over the Trump administration’s nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration.
State police officers stand in the parking lot after a mass shooting at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia, Nov. 23, 2022. (Reuters/Jay Paul)
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Virginia Democrats have signaled support for new tax proposals despite campaigning to make daily life across the state more affordable.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Spanberger’s office.
