Hours after being sworn in as Virginia’s 75th governor and the first woman to hold the office, Abigail Spanberger signed ten executive orders on her first day in office. One of them — Executive Order #10 — directly overturns former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 47, which had pushed state and local law enforcement agencies to assist federal civil immigration enforcement.
In the new order, Spanberger says the change is about keeping Virginia law enforcement focused on core public-safety duties, not federal civil immigration work. The order states: “This executive order rescinds Executive Order 47, which requires and encourages state and local law enforcement to divert their limited resources for use in enforcing federal civil immigration laws. Ensuring public safety in Virginia requires state and local law enforcement to be focused on their core responsibilities of investigating and deterring criminal activity, staffing jails, and community engagement.”
Spanberger framed the decision as part of a broader “Day One” agenda aimed at tackling immediate issues facing Virginians — including lowering costs, strengthening the economy, and improving education. The executive orders were signed at the Virginia State Capitol following the inauguration ceremony.
Youngkin originally issued Executive Order 47 on February 27, 2025. It directed the Virginia State Police and the Department of Corrections to pursue Section 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), allowing certain state officers to be trained and authorized to help identify and apprehend individuals the order described as “dangerous criminal illegal immigrants.” The directive also included plans for a State Police Task Force, training corrections officers as Designated Immigration Officers, and requiring the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to seek certification of full cooperation from local and regional jails.
At the time, Youngkin said: “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.” He also emphasized coordination with federal immigration enforcement as a key part of the approach.
Spanberger’s repeal reverses that posture, removing the state-level mandate to support federal civil immigration enforcement and redirecting law enforcement capacity toward Virginia-based priorities.
The move underscores a sharp policy shift after Spanberger’s November 2025 victory over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, signaling a new direction from Youngkin’s administration on immigration-related cooperation.
