Twenty-seven Virginia county agencies are authorized to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations despite Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanbergerâs efforts to break ties with the agency, documents show.
Two county jail authorities and 25 sheriffâs offices signed contracts with President Donald Trumpâs ICE between February and December 2025, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation review of the agreements. Spanberger repealed former Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkinâs executive order promoting such contracts, but she cannot stop ICE-friendly counties from assisting federal officials in identifying, detaining and transfering illegal immigrants for deportation.
Spanbergerâs party now controls Virginiaâs executive branch and both state legislative chambers. Her office did not respond to the DCNFâs request for comment.
The governor has argued on the campaign trail that Immigration agents should have to show a warrant for someoneâs capture if they want local law enforcement cooperation, though she denied that this would make Virginia a âsanctuaryâ state for illegal immigrants, The Virginian-Pilot reported. As a U.S. representative, she opposed some tough immigration bills such as Trumpâs Laken Riley Act, which requires federal detention for illegal immigrants charged with various crimes. She also supported an amnesty bill for undocumented farm workers.
Youngkinâs now-repealed immigration order directed state law enforcement agencies to sign cooperation memos with ICE â known as 287(g) agreements â while requesting every sheriff or local jail official to do the same. Liberal jurisdictions such as Fairfax County and Alexandria refused to cooperate, while more than two dozen counties and five state agencies signed the memos.
The agreements signed at the county level allow sheriffâs offices to interrogate any migrants about their Immigration status, arrest anyone without a warrant for illegally entering the country, hold illegal immigrants in lieu of ICE custody and transport them to ICE detention centers. They may also assist Immigration cases via arrest warrants, charging documents, fingerprint collection, photographs and interviews.
The contracts gave more limited powers to the Loudoun, Pittsylvania and Alleghany County sheriffâs offices and two local jailagencies covering severalcounties, focused mainly on executing Immigration warrants in their own jails and transfers to ICE.
Spanbergerâs administration can only terminate the state-level contracts, and until it does, the Virginia State Police, Department of Corrections (DOC), the DOCâs Office of Law Enforcement Services, Marine Resources Commission and Department of Wildlife Resources are allowed to help with various ICE functions.
Spanberger called Youngkinâs pro-ICE policy ânot an appropriate use of state or local resourcesâ in her day-one executive order overturning it. âEnsuring public safety in Virginia requires state and local law enforcement to be focused on their core responsibilities of investigating and deterring criminal activity, staffing jails, and community engagement,â her order reads.
âFederal authorities should enforce federal civil Immigration laws â law enforcement in the Commonwealth should prioritize the safety and security of all residents in Virginia, the enforcement of local and state laws, and coordination with federal entities on criminal matters,â Spanberger wrote.
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