Federal Ruling Blocks Spanberger’s Order on ICE in Virginia

Governor Abigail Spanberger’s efforts to impede collaboration with federal immigration enforcement have received a temporary setback, thanks to a federal judge’s ruling.

U.S. District Judge Robert Payne determined that the federal government is likely to prevail in its legal challenge against the new restrictions on cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

“My office strongly disagrees with the judge’s order and will urgently file a motion to stay this ruling and appeal,” said Attorney General Jay Jones in a statement.

Payne, a judge appointed by President George H.W. Bush, issued a preliminary injunction against Spanberger’s order, allowing law enforcement and state prisons to continue cooperating with ICE operations, though no new agreements can be formed.

The Trump administration argued that the law exceeds Virginia’s authority, violating both the Supremacy Clause and the Contract Clause of the Constitution.

Spanberger put her name to the law, and Attorney General Jay Jones subsequently began taking action against the Greene County sheriff for collaborating with ICE in making 50 arrests.

Jones made it clear that he plans to appeal the ruling. “The General Assembly was acting within its legal rights when it passed this law,” he explained, as he called for a focus on local resource constraints instead of federal responsibilities.

The Department of Homeland Security criticized Spanberger’s restrictions sharply, indicating that ICE continues to prioritize the arrest and removal of criminal illegal aliens in Virginia while local authorities let them out of jail.