While it’s true that immigrants commit fewer crimes than people born in the United States, it’s also true that there is no “safe space” for people who commit crimes in Virginia. Virginia police do not need new authority to arrest people who commit crimes, regardless of their country of origin — that is already their job.
What changes with Executive Order 47 is that the Virginia State Police will now have the authority to question and arrest people who have not committed crimes but who police believe may be present in the United States without immigration status. Immigration is a civil matter, not a criminal one, but with Executive Order 47, the issues converge. It means police will now be attempting to enforce civil immigration laws instead of focusing on their core mission of stopping crime in our neighborhoods. As a Virginian, I don’t want that.
