Virginia Democrats have been in full control of the state for less than a week, and they’re already making their priorities crystal clear: criminals first, illegal immigrants close behind, and everyday Virginians somewhere near the bottom of the list. Law and order didn’t just take a back seat—it was pushed out of the car.
One of Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s very first moves upon taking office was repealing an executive order issued by her Republican predecessor, Glenn Youngkin, that required state and local law enforcement to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to Spanberger, police shouldn’t have to “divert their limited resources” to enforce federal immigration laws. Translation: enforcing the law is suddenly optional—at least when it comes to illegal immigration.
Spanberger framed the decision as a resource issue, but her actions, combined with those of other Democrats in Richmond, suggest a much broader agenda: making Virginia more welcoming to illegal immigrants, including those who commit crimes after entering the country unlawfully. Protecting public safety appears to be optional under the new regime.
Virginia House of Delegates Minority Leader Terry Kilgore didn’t mince words. He warned that prosecutors in Northern Virginia are already known for “coddling criminals” and looking the other way. He pointed out that when Virginia cooperated with ICE under Youngkin, law enforcement was able to arrest MS-13 gang members. Without that cooperation, Kilgore warned, Virginians will get hurt. That’s not fearmongering—it’s lived experience.
Currently, Loudoun County is the only county in Northern Virginia that honors ICE detainers, and Sheriff Michael Chapman has said he intends to keep it that way, Democrat takeover or not. Chapman cited a chilling example from Fairfax County, where an individual released despite an ICE detainer allegedly committed a homicide the very next day. Loudoun, he said, isn’t interested in repeating that mistake.
And the rollback of ICE cooperation is just the beginning. Democrats in Richmond are rolling out bill after bill that weakens law enforcement and shields criminals.
Democrat Del. Katrina Callsen introduced legislation that would ban the civil arrest of illegal aliens attending unrelated matters at courthouses, pushing Virginia even further toward a catch-and-release model. Del. Jessica Anderson introduced a bill that would block state agencies from requiring nonprofits to prove eligibility before receiving taxpayer funds—essentially removing safeguards against fraud and ensuring abuse goes unchecked.
Del. Laura Jane Cohen proposed legislation allowing people who make “hate crime” accusations to conceal their identity at every stage of legal proceedings. Given the long list of hate crime hoaxes in recent years, the idea of anonymous accusers with zero accountability should alarm anyone who still believes in due process.
