RICHMOND, Va. — Political science and immigration experts are reacting after Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced plans to ban sanctuary cities for migrants by way of the state budget.
Gov. Youngkin made the comments Thursday at an event in Richmond. He said cities that don’t comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) guidelines could lose state funding.
Youngkin said his office is "protecting Virginians first," adding, "Virginia is not a sanctuary state, and we must be clear that we will not allow localities to become ‘sanctuary cities.’ If local governments turn their backs on their citizens in order to pander to pro-illegal immigrant groups, we will cut off their funding.”
In the announcement, Youngkin cited policies in Fairfax County, Arlington County and Richmond, saying the procedures allow "violent criminals to be released back into our communities."
The proposal targets 599 funding, which provides money to eligible cities with police departments.
Virginia Wesleyan University associate professor of political science Dr. Leslie Caughell told 13News Now Friday, "More than anything else, what we’re looking at here is an attempt by Governor Youngkin to capitalize on this immigration issue that worked fairly well for Donald Trump in the election."
Dr. Caughell said the proposal likely has a steep hill to climb, both legislatively and legally, but either way, state Republicans could benefit.
She said, "To the extent that Governor Youngkin is trying to put together a winning coalition for Republicans to retake the house of delegates, you can see why there would be appeal to this issue."
Bolivian immigrant and legislative aide with the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis Rodrigo Soto also weighed in Friday. He told 13News Now, "We know that this is going to have a real impact in the lives of immigrants across Virginia who are now going to be even more afraid to engage with law enforcement."
Soto added his experience as an undocumented immigrant child makes Gov. Youngkin's announcement additionally disheartening.
"I grew up in this country as an undocumented immigrant and I endured many, many years of abuse," Soto said. "And I never reported it."
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Jamaican immigrant, also weighed in. She said, "My father and I had to file documents and wait to be granted permission to enter the United States. Under Governor Youngkin’s leadership, Virginia stands firm: we are not a sanctuary state."
13News Now reached out to local law enforcement agencies for comment on the proposal. The Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office said in a statement:
The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office at present – and consistently in recent years – has been fully supportive of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials and requests. We enjoy a relationship of cooperation and mutual respect with ICE.
We use Attorney General Jason Miyares’ September 2024 opinion as a guideline in our interaction with our federal partner, ICE.
For example, when an individual is brought into the VBSO’s custody and was not born in the United States or a U.S. territory, ICE is notified. ICE, in turn, notifies the VBSO if ICE will take the person into federal custody, but only after the VBSO is done holding them on local or state charges. If ICE wants this individual on federal charges, ICE issues a detainer or warrant for this person, which is an entirely separate, federal process.
We have and will continue to uphold all laws, including those concerning immigration and detention.