By VaBayNews Staff

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has issued an executive directive terminating the Commonwealth’s participation in the federal 287(g) program—the long-standing agreement that allowed the Virginia State Police and the Department of Corrections to assist federal authorities in identifying and arresting criminal illegal aliens.

The order immediately halts state cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under 287(g), ending a tool that focused on offenders already in custody or under criminal supervision. For center-right Virginians, the move raises a blunt question: Why would Richmond voluntarily abandon a targeted public-safety partnership that prioritized criminals, not families?

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What 287(g) Actually Did — and Why It Mattered

Contrary to political caricature, 287(g) did not authorize random traffic stops or broad immigration sweeps. It enabled trained state and corrections officers—operating under federal supervision—to identify and transfer convicted or charged criminals to ICE. Sheriffs and prosecutors across the country have long argued that the program reduces repeat offenses, deters gang activity, and prevents re-victimization.

Ending it means fewer lawful handoffs, slower removals of criminal offenders, and more reliance on already-strained local systems to manage dangerous individuals who should never be cycling back into Virginia communities.

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The Timing and the Signal

Spanberger’s directive arrives amid heightened concern about border security and rising fentanyl deaths—issues where coordination between state and federal law enforcement has proven essential. Instead of reinforcing cooperation, the governor chose to sever it, signaling alignment with the national progressive push to wall off states from federal immigration enforcement—even when public safety is at stake.

This is not a neutral administrative tweak. It’s a values statement.

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Who Pays the Price?

• Victims who expect repeat offenders to be removed, not released.
• Law enforcement officers who lose a lawful, clearly defined partnership tool.
• Taxpayers who shoulder the costs when criminal offenders remain in state custody longer—or reoffend.

Supporters of the order argue it builds “trust” with immigrant communities. But trust is not strengthened when policies appear to protect criminals over victims, or when transparency gives way to ideology.

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A Center-Right Bottom Line

Virginia didn’t need to choose between compassion and law enforcement. The 287(g) framework was narrow, supervised, and focused on criminals. By scrapping it outright, the administration traded a proven public-safety mechanism for political signaling—at a time when Virginians are asking for fewer excuses and more results.

The Commonwealth deserves policies that put law-abiding residents first. Ending 287(g) does the opposite.

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