Governor Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares are doubling down on their support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Virginia, defending the agency’s actions at the Chesterfield County Courthouse amid rising criticism from some Democratic lawmakers.
In recent weeks, ICE agents have made multiple arrests at the courthouse — actions that Youngkin argues are part of a deliberate and effective strategy to keep dangerous individuals off Virginia’s streets.
“We are now through over 2,000 arrests as part of the Virginia Homeland Security Task Force,” Youngkin said. “It’s working, and most importantly, we’re getting really tough bad guys off the street.”
Youngkin emphasized that Virginia’s partnership with ICE is focused on targeting individuals who are in the United States illegally and pose a threat to public safety — particularly violent offenders and those with prior convictions.
Attorney General Jason Miyares echoed the Governor’s stance, noting that the individuals being taken into custody are not everyday immigrants, but those who have already been ordered removed from the country by a court of law.
“What you’re seeing overwhelmingly are people that have already had their day in court,” Miyares explained. “They’re either a violent criminal, or they’ve already been ordered to be deported. I have a strong suspicion that’s what’s happening in Chesterfield.”
The Virginia Homeland Security Task Force, launched under Youngkin’s administration, is designed to address security threats posed by undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Supporters argue that it’s a necessary effort to counteract the chaos caused by the Biden administration’s lax border policies and to reinforce the rule of law within the Commonwealth.
“When the federal government won’t act, states like Virginia must step up,” one administration official noted. “This isn’t about immigration — it’s about criminal accountability and public safety.”
ICE operations like those seen in Chesterfield are not new, but what sets them apart now is their increasing focus on coordination with local jurisdictions. Virginia is among a growing number of Republican-led states using existing tools to reinforce immigration enforcement where federal policy is falling short.
Not all are pleased with these developments. State Delegate Mike Jones (D-Richmond), who represents parts of Chesterfield County, voiced concern about the optics and impact of the arrests.
“They’re just dressed in basic clothes, but then they’re snatching people,” Jones said. “What type of message is that to send in America?”
Jones further argued that such tactics are creating fear in immigrant communities, which he claimed could result in lower levels of cooperation with law enforcement and court proceedings.
“They will remain silent, and that just means they are opening themselves up to be targeted even more,” Jones added.
