Youngkin proposes drafting sanctuary city ban, tying state funding to ICE cooperation.

Glenn Youngkin, Virginia's Governor, will present a budget plan prohibiting "sanctuary cities" and withholding tax funds from non-compliant counties and independent cities.

The proposal mandates that local law enforcement officials adhere to ICE detainer requests for criminal undocumented immigrants and notify the federal government promptly upon their release from the justice system.

Richmond will withhold state funding typically allocated to support the police departments of any municipality that identifies as a sanctuary city or enacts similar policies.

The Department of Criminal Justice Services, under the leadership of Youngkin appointee and former Prince William County Officer Jackson Miller, will be advised to withhold "599 Funding."

Youngkin stated on Planet Chronicle Digital that he would hand over criminals who are residing in the US unlawfully to ICE.

"Some local governments are enabling the cycle of violence and crime, and we must put an end to it. Virginia is not a sanctuary state, and we will not tolerate localities becoming "sanctuary cities.""

The Republican governor, who is term-limited next year under Virginia’s one-and-done policy, stated that if local governments cater to pro-illegal immigrant groups, they will lose access to state-taxpayer assistance.

Recent violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants in Virginia, including the sexual assault of a jogger on a popular Herndon rail-trail, have prompted the release of a news report.

In November, a Honduran national was charged with the intention to defile and rape a woman on the Old Dominion Trail in a Washington, D.C., suburb. This was the first stranger-rape case in the suburb's police chief's 12-year tenure.

Fairfax County's sanctuary-type policies were criticized because Navarette-Romero had previously been arrested for auto theft and indecent exposure.

In 2018, Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid announced that her office would no longer keep inmates in custody beyond their release dates unless an administrative request to hold the suspects was accompanied by a legal criminal detainer.

Earlier this year, WJLA reported that Kincaid stated her department needs a warrant, following ICE officials' criticism of the lack of cooperation with Virginia's largest county by population.

According to the outlet, only three of the 725 "undocumented individuals" in Fairfax custody between July 2023 and July 2024 were transferred to ICE.

In November, Arlington County's board passed a 4-1 vote on a policy that restricts police notifications to ICE to only include gang members and serious crimes, as reported by ArlNow.

The vote came as activists chanted "ICE Out Of Arlington!"

In 2007, Alexandria adopted a policy not to inquire about citizenship beyond what is legally required.

In 2017, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney took a stand against President Trump's immigration policies by instructing the city's police department not to cooperate with ICE and not to inquire about citizenship status in the name of public safety.

During Youngkin's tenure, the state Department of Corrections has consistently recognized ICE detainers.

Thomas Homan, Trump's "Border Czar," has consistently promised a "mass deportation" plan and threatened sanctuary cities with the use of federal power to enforce legal compliance.