In response to the State of the Union, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger criticized President Donald Trump, claiming he sends immigration officials to “arrest mothers and detain children,” and called undocumented immigrants “wannabe Americans.”
The speech seemed, well, a bit like a campaign address, with Spanberger using the moment to highlight her opposition to Trump and emphasize the party’s stance.
“We’re not getting the truth from the president,” she expressed to party members in Williamsburg, Virginia, while also accusing Congressional Republicans of hesitating to use their constitutional power to rein in the president.
She claimed that Trump and the Republican Party are driving up the cost of living and making healthcare access more difficult. In contrast, she stated, “Here in Virginia, we’re collaborating with our state legislature to lower costs and enhance affordability in our commonwealth.”
Shifting to law enforcement and immigration issues, Spanberger continued to assert her points.
“I collaborate with local law enforcement and state police to ensure community safety and uphold the law,” she mentioned. “Law enforcement officers nationwide understand that tackling crime, supporting victims, and making arrests is a unique obligation. It’s all about fostering trust and requires a deep commitment to the community.”
On the topic of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions, Spanberger presented strong opinions about Trump’s immigration enforcement strategies.
“Our president is deploying inadequately trained federal agents into our neighborhoods who arrest and detain American citizens and those aspiring to be Americans without warrants. They’ve separated nursing mothers from their infants, and sent children, like little boys in blue bunny hats, off to distant detention centers. They’ve even killed American citizens on our streets, all while wearing a façade of blame. Time spent instilling fear is time not spent solving murders, or addressing crimes against children, or stopping those who defraud the elderly. The president claims tonight that we’re safe because they’ve arrested mothers and children. But really, our flawed immigration system needs fixing, and there’s no justification for unchecked agents terrorizing our communities.”
Political analyst Guy Benson posted that Spanberger seemed to be describing illegal immigrants as individuals who “want” to become U.S. citizens.
“She asserts that ICE only targets innocent mothers and children. However, around 70% of ICE arrests last year focused on individuals with criminal records,” he noted.
Spanberger presented herself as a moderate, attempting to mask what could be seen as more extreme viewpoints. This includes the repeal of former Governor Glenn Youngkin’s executive order, which had granted state law enforcement agencies a role in federal immigration enforcement.
Earlier in February, the newly elected governor issued another executive order, emphasizing that Virginia should avoid “fear-based policing” or “coercive enforcement,” instead targeting compliance with state law rather than the “administrative enforcement of civil status.”
