The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a statement criticizing Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger for her recent decision to end all 287(g) agreements in the state. This move, announced on February 4, prevents local law enforcement agencies from collaborating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in identifying and transferring individuals suspected of being in the country illegally.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis stated, “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, America’s brave DHS law enforcement officers have delivered the most secure border in U.S. history and removed more than 700,000 dangerous illegal aliens from American communities. ICE under President Trump’s leadership is targeting criminal illegal aliens, including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists. At every step on the way to make America safe again, sanctuary politicians—including Abigail Spanberger—have tried to slow ICE down and chosen to release criminals from their jails into our communities to perpetrate more crimes and create more victims.”
According to DHS, ending cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities makes it harder for officers to locate and apprehend individuals released from jail who may pose risks to public safety. The agency highlighted that partnerships with local police have led to significant results elsewhere; for example, there have been 40,000 arrests in Florida attributed to such cooperation and a two-week operation in West Virginia resulted in over 650 arrests.
DHS also noted that seven out of the ten safest cities in the United States maintain cooperation with ICE.
The statement further listed several cases involving individuals described as “criminal illegal aliens” who were convicted of serious offenses ranging from sexual crimes against minors to homicide. These examples were cited as evidence of ongoing risks posed by limiting collaboration between state authorities and federal immigration enforcement.
Bis concluded by stating that despite policy changes at the state level, “ICE law enforcement will continue to risk their lives to arrest these heinous criminals.”
