RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has signed an executive directive ending participation by several state agencies in the federal 287(g) immigration enforcement program, a move she said will preserve public trust in law enforcement and keep state police focused on their core duties.
Spanberger’s Executive Directive One instructs all state agencies to terminate agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that allow Virginia officers to work under federal supervision on immigration cases. She also signed Executive Order 12, which she described as a statement of “principles and policies that have long served as the north star for Virginia law enforcement,” emphasizing training, vetting and accountability.
The 287(g) program enables certain local and state officers to interrogate immigrants in their custody and detain them for potential deportation, according to the Associated Press.
According to ICE's 287g website, 27 sheriff's departments and regional jails in Virginia have active agreements with the federal agency. It listed five state agencies with active agreements: Virginia Department of Corrections, Virginia Department of State Police, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Virginia DOC Law Enforcement Services, and Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
Spanberger, a former federal agent, said her order does not prevent cooperation with ICE or other agencies when they have a judicial warrant, nor does it end joint work on broader law enforcement task forces.
Watch: Gov. Spanberger Explains Decision to End Virginia’s ICE Cooperation Agreements
"As governor, I think members of the Virginia State Police or Department of Corrections should be working under the leadership within their agencies,” she said. “Taking Virginia law enforcement … and basically giving them over to ICE is something that ends today."
The decision reverses a directive from former Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, who in February 2025 ordered state police to use “all available methods” to help ICE arrest and deport inadmissible and removable criminal immigrants. Spanberger had revoked Youngkin’s executive order on her first day in office, pending a review of the state’s involvement.
Spanberger said that review found state police use of the program was “relatively minimal” and that ending it would not impact public safety. She also linked her actions to recent national debates over policing tactics, citing a Minnesota case where two U.S. citizens were killed and saying such incidents erode trust.
Republican criticism
Republicans in Virginia sharply criticized the move.
"This is the governor unfortunately putting politics over public safety," said state Sen. Glen Sturtevant (R-Chesterfield). "Our federal law enforcement partners have worked well with our local and state police … to get criminal illegal aliens out of the Commonwealth. This is going to put more people at risk."
Watch: Sen. Sturtevant Criticizes Spanberger’s ICE Policy Shift as Public Safety Risk
House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore (R-Scott) said the decision confirms GOP concerns.
"We told you so," Kilgore said in a statement. "Just days ago, Democrats insisted the Governor’s order didn’t do anything. Today, Governor Spanberger ended all of Virginia’s 287(g) agreements with ICE. This decision weakens public safety and cuts off cooperation that helped law enforcement remove dangerous criminals from our communities. Virginians deserve honesty, not spin."
Both Republicans said the move could protect gang members, drug traffickers and human traffickers from removal by federal authorities, and warned it risked making Virginia a “sanctuary” for people in the U.S. illegally.
Democratic support
Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi, a Democrat, praised Spanberger’s action.
"This action restores clarity and accountability to the role of state and local law enforcement and ensures their focus remains on public safety, justice, and community trust," Hashmi said. "By ending agreements that cede discretion to the federal government, this directive reaffirms Virginia’s constitutional values and the integrity of our public safety institutions. I fully support this decisive step by Governor Spanberger’s Administration to ensure our agencies operate justly, lawfully, and in service of all Virginians."
Spanberger echoed that sentiment, framing her action as reinforcing Virginia’s own law enforcement standards and priorities.
"My goal is to celebrate, honor and recognize the high standards that … our law enforcement agencies [uphold],” she said. “Public trust is essential to the ability to conduct quality policing."
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