Gov. Youngkin proposes withholding state funding from Virginia’s ‘sanctuary cities’
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, is making headlines with his proposal to withhold state funding from local governments that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement officials. This move is part of his plan to eliminate the Commonwealth’s “sanctuary cities,” which are areas that choose to protect migrants without legal status rather than work with federal officials to enforce immigration law.
Youngkin first mentioned the idea of withholding funding back in December, and now he has proposed it as an amendment to the state budget passed by the General Assembly. The aim is to ensure that state funding does not go to counties or cities with sanctuary city policies, such as ignoring detainer requests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The governor has specifically targeted Democrat-run counties in northern Virginia, including Fairfax, stating that full cooperation on immigration enforcement is necessary to continue receiving funding. Youngkin emphasized that Virginia is not a sanctuary state and, therefore, does not support localities that declare themselves as sanctuary cities.
However, Chair of the Board of Supervisors for Fairfax County, Jeff Mckay, has pushed back against Youngkin’s plan. He argues that Fairfax County is not a sanctuary city and follows all legal detainers. Mckay believes that Youngkin’s proposal would effectively “defund the police” and accuses the governor of using a non-lawyer definition of a sanctuary city to justify his actions.
On the other side of the aisle, Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott, a Democrat, has criticized Youngkin for allegedly “capitulating” to the Trump administration’s immigration policies. The General Assembly, which has a Democrat majority, will be discussing the governor’s proposal in the upcoming week.
Overall, Youngkin’s stance on sanctuary cities and immigration enforcement has sparked debate and controversy in Virginia. It remains to be seen how his proposal will be received by the General Assembly and what implications it may have for local governments in the state.
