RICHMOND, Va. – Gov. Youngkin signed Executive Order 47 on Thursday, titled "Keep Virginians Safe from Dangerous Criminal Illegal Immigrants."
Youngkin stated the following points as the main directives of the order:
- Direct the Virginia State Police (VSP) to enter into a 287(g) Task Force Model Memorandum of Understanding with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This agreement will provide for a Section 287(g) VSP Task Force of federally deputized officers to assist in the identification and apprehension of criminal illegal immigrants who pose a risk to public safety throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.
- Direct the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) to enter into a Section 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model Memorandum of Understanding with ICE. This agreement will provide for a Section 287(g) VADOC Jail Enforcement Model Program to leverage multiple detention and processing facilities throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and train corrections officers to be assigned as Designated Immigration Officers (DIOs).
- Instruct the Secretary of Public Safety & Homeland Security to contact every Director, Sheriff, or other official in charge of a local or regional jail in the Commonwealth of Virginia and request a certification confirming their full cooperation with ICE in all Enforcement and Removal Operations and stating that they will cooperate with the Section 287(g) VSP Task Force.
Youngkin stated in the order that Virginia is not a sanctuary state, and cited the "the nexus between illegal immigration and dangerous criminal activity" as a reason for this order. He also mentioned two deaths in Virginia that involved illegal immigrants, one near Old Dominion University and one in Campbell County.
There is conflicting evidence regarding the correlation between illegal immigrants and crime in the U.S., with many studies showing undocumented immigrants commit less crime than those born in the U.S.
“As Governor, protecting our citizens is my foremost responsibility and today we are taking action that will make Virginia safer by removing dangerous criminal illegal immigrants from our Commonwealth. This order will allow Virginia State Police and the Department of Corrections to partner with President Trump’s administration on federal immigration enforcement. Dangerous criminal illegal immigrants should not be let back into our communities to assault, rape and murder. They should be sent back where they came from.”
Gov. Glenn Youngkin
