Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger is signaling that one of her first priorities, if elected, would be to dismantle Virginia’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement — a move critics say would weaken public safety and undermine years of progress made under Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Spanberger said she would rescind Executive Order 47, signed by Youngkin in February, which empowered state police and corrections officers to help carry out federal immigration operations and encouraged local jails to fully cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“I would rescind his executive order, yes,” Spanberger told the Virginia Mercury in an interview earlier this month. She argued that immigration enforcement “tears families apart” and diverts resources from local police work.
Youngkin defended the measure as essential to keeping “dangerous criminal illegal immigrants” off Virginia’s streets. His office noted that local cooperation is crucial to removing violent offenders who otherwise slip back into communities.
A Clear Contrast: Sears vs. Spanberger
Spanberger’s stance stands in stark contrast to Republican nominee Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who has embraced Youngkin’s order as a necessary safeguard for law-abiding Virginians.
As a legal immigrant from Jamaica, Sears has said Virginia must draw a bright line between those who follow the law and those who break it. She has argued that scaling back cooperation with ICE would make the state more vulnerable to gangs, drug traffickers, and repeat offenders.
“Immigration must be about law and fairness,” Sears has said. “Our families should not live in fear because politicians put politics above safety.”
Youngkin’s Broader Homeland Security Push
Beyond Executive Order 47, Youngkin launched the Virginia Homeland Security Task Force in late February. This joint federal-state initiative brings together more than 200 personnel from ICE, the FBI, state police, and corrections.
The task force has already reported hundreds — if not thousands — of arrests tied to immigration and gang activity across Virginia. Supporters argue the results prove that Youngkin’s policies are delivering real protection for communities.
Spanberger, however, dismissed the effort as an unnecessary use of state manpower, saying immigration enforcement should remain strictly a federal job.
The Stakes in November
The immigration debate has quickly become one of the defining issues of the 2025 governor’s race. For Republicans, the choice is clear: continue Youngkin’s law-and-order approach under Sears, or risk undoing it under Spanberger.
Spanberger’s critics warn her plan would roll back hard-won progress in keeping criminal aliens off Virginia’s streets — and could once again leave local communities paying the price for Washington’s broken immigration system.
