Gov Glenn Youngkin moves to strip funding from sanctuary cities in Virginia

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has renewed an effort to stop sanctuary cities in Virginia by stripping cities of funding if they are not cooperating with federal immigration authorities in an amendment to a budget proposal.

The amendment to the budget proposal from Youngkin includes a requirement for local police forces to cooperate with the federal government in order to conduct deportation operations, according to Just the News. A presentation addressing the amendment states that for funding to go to cities, the proposal “requires local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with ICE.” This is an expansion on an executive order he signed in December.

"We must prioritize the safety of the citizens of the Commonwealth and stop localities from returning criminals, who entered the country illegally, back out into our communities to potentially commit more crimes," a facts sheet on the order said in December.

The Virginia governor signed an executive order in December that directed local police to cooperate with ICE and threatened funding going to cities' per diem jail payments if locales did not comply with the order, but the amendment would codify the requirements.

The renewed effort comes as the Trump administration has been working to conduct mass deportations of illegal immigrants, starting with those who have violent criminal records or are members of gangs.

In Fairfax County, Virginia, the sanctuary city policy — which states: "It is not an appropriate use of Fairfax resources to facilitate enforcement of federal immigration law, which is the sole responsibility of the federal government” — has come under scrutiny after state authorities have released illegal immigrants that had ICE detainer requests place on them.

In November, Denis Humberto Navarette Romero, who is an illegal immigrant from Honduras, was arrested and charged for the rape of a woman. He was then released because local officials did not honor the ICE detainer placed on him.