Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger is facing major backlash after ordering the Virginia State Police to resume background checks on lawful citizens buying firearms while simultaneously restricting cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) involving illegal aliens convicted of violent crimes.
Critics say the policy sends a clear message: law-abiding Virginians exercising their constitutional rights are being treated with more suspicion than criminal illegal immigrants. Welcome to modern Democrat priorities.
According to Philip Van Cleave, founder of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Spanberger’s decision to restart background checks for private gun sales directly contradicts an October court order that halted the practice.
Van Cleave said both the Virginia Citizens Defense League and Gun Owners of America are now filing a motion for contempt of court in response to the governor’s actions.
At the same time, conservatives are pointing to Spanberger’s resistance to allowing state police cooperation with ICE when it comes to identifying and removing illegal aliens convicted of violent crimes. Republicans argue that the contrast exposes a deeply flawed set of priorities focused more on restricting constitutional freedoms than protecting public safety.
Gun rights advocates say lawful gun owners already go through extensive legal processes and should not be targeted with additional government interference, especially while violent offenders in the country illegally receive less aggressive enforcement treatment.
The controversy is quickly becoming another major battle in the nationwide debate over the Second Amendment, border security, and state cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
For many conservatives, the issue boils down to a simple question: why are Democrats so eager to monitor legal gun purchases while resisting stronger action against criminals who shouldn’t even be in the country to begin with?
As legal challenges move forward, Virginia gun owners are making it clear they are prepared to fight back against policies they see as unconstitutional and politically motivated.
