RICHMOND, Va. — Governor Glenn Youngkin signed Executive Order 47 on Thursday, directing Virginia State Police and the Department of Corrections to assist in federal immigration enforcement efforts through Section 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The order authorizes state law enforcement to be deputized under federal immigration laws and calls on local and regional jail authorities to certify their full cooperation with ICE.
The move aligns Virginia with federal efforts to detain and deport individuals in the country illegally who have committed violent crimes.
“As Governor, protecting our citizens is my foremost responsibility and today we are taking action that will make Virginia safer by removing dangerous criminal illegal immigrants from our Commonwealth,” Youngkin said.
Under the directive, Virginia State Police will form a federally deputized task force to assist in identifying and apprehending individuals who pose a public safety risk. The Virginia Department of Corrections will also enter a separate agreement to train corrections officers as designated immigration officers.
The order follows existing federal immigration policies under the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which allows state and local agencies to collaborate with ICE.
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