Virginia Gov. Youngkin threatens to withhold state funding from alleged 'sanctuary cities'
VA governor wants to withhold funds from alleged sanctuary cities
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is threatening state funding for local governments if they don’t cooperate with federal immigration authorities. It’s all part of the governor’s efforts to go after so-called "sanctuary cities" in the Commonwealth.
WASHINGTON - Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is threatening state funding for local governments if they don’t cooperate with federal immigration authorities. It’s all part of the governor’s efforts to go after so-called "sanctuary cities" in the Commonwealth.
Youngkin first proposed this in December. Now he’s brought it back as a proposed amendment to the state budget passed by the General Assembly.
What It Does:
The proposal strips state funding from counties or cities, that practice "sanctuary city" policies, like ignoring detainer requests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement before releasing illegal immigrants who’ve been in a local jail.
Chair of the Board of Supervisors for Fairfax County, Jeff Mckay, tells FOX 5 that Youngkin’s plan would effectively "defund the police." He insists that Fairfax County is not a "sanctuary city" and says they follow all legal detainers.
"Ultimately, what he’s saying is, if you don’t agree with his non-lawyer definition of 'sanctuary city,' it could affect your law enforcement agency, and he’s doing this because he’s alleging significant crime is occurring," McKay said.
Youngkin threatens state funding over immigration laws
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin is doubling down on jurisdictions pursuing "sanctuary city" policies. This next move comes after an executive order issued last month deputized state and corrections officers to assist ICE in arrest and deportation operations.
The backstory:
Youngkin has been particularly critical of Democrat-run counties in northern Virginia, like Fairfax. The governor says if there’s no full cooperation, there will be no full funding.
"This is not a decision for people to make locally. This is for the betterment of all our safety. We are not a sanctuary state and therefore we’re not supporting localities that are declared sanctuary cities," Youngkin said.
Holding back funding is a tactic successfully implemented by the White House to force cooperation on policy. From the governor of Maine, who clashed publicly with the president, to Columbia University, which faced a $400 million cut before reversing course.
Why you should care:
Retired ICE field office director John Fabbricatore tells FOX 5 that Youngkin’s move could have a big impact on the state.
"It’s a tool, you know, to try to get them to come to the table and actually look at this," Fabbricatore said. "Sanctuary communities do not protect US citizens, they only protect criminal illegal aliens and at the end of the day what ICE wants is information and cooperation."
FOX 5 did reach out to several immigration advocacy organizations for comment but those requests were ignored.
Don Scott, the Democratic speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, has accused the governor of "capitulating" to the Trump administration. The Democratic-majority General Assembly will take up the proposal on April 2.