Spanberger orders termination of ICE agreements with law enforcement
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) has ordered the termination of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) agreements with law enforcement on Wednesday in an attempt to establish principles for agencies and divisions.
Spanberger, who is a former federal law enforcement officer, issued Executive Order 12, which is about “principles and policies that have long served as the north star for Virginia law enforcement" -- an early step to ensure Virginia law enforcement is not a tool for ICE, amid multiple instances of possible sightings.
The executive order directs Virginia law enforcement agencies to review all policies, training and practices to confirm alignment with these standards.
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In addition to the executive order, Spanberger also directed Virginia’s state law enforcement agencies and divisions -- Virginia State Police, Virginia Department of Corrections, Virginia Conservation Police and Virginia Marine Police -- to terminate all existing 287(g) agreements with ICE.
“As a former federal law enforcement officer and the daughter of a career law enforcement officer, I know that effective policing is built on trust. Like so many of Virginia’s law enforcement officers, I have serious concerns that chaotic federal law enforcement actions across the country are eroding years of trust built by our officers within the communities they serve,” Spanberger said. “When state and local law enforcement are pulled away from investigating crimes and upholding our Virginia laws to do the job of federal agents, it weakens their ability to deepen trust within their communities. This contributes to a culture of fear and distrust that makes it harder for officers to do their jobs.”
According to the governor's office, these 287(g) agreements placed Virginia law enforcement officers under federal control and supervision to conduct civil immigration enforcement.
The governor said her administration has been closely reviewing agreements state law enforcement agencies were required to sign in 2025, per a release from the governor's office.
“Today, Virginia is taking important steps to both reaffirm the core responsibilities of our officers and help build public trust in Virginians who wear the badge," said Spanberger, who previously announced the executive order at a Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Henrico County.
This comes after Spanberger signed 10 Executive Orders on her first day in office on Saturday, Jan. 17, marking the beginning of her term amid concerns over the Trump administration's ICE policies. Of the 10, Spanberger signed orders related to statewide affordability, public education, the Board of Visitors appointment process and federal immigration enforcement.
Other politicians have also voiced their concerns on these issues -- Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia) pushed for an audit aimed at preventing the wrongful arrest of American citizens amid growing unrest over the presidential administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.
