politics
DHS Urges Virginia Governor Spanberger to Reverse Sanctuary Policies Amid Fairfax County Murder Charges
The Department of Homeland Security has called on Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger to end sanctuary policies following murder charges against several undocumented immigrants in Fairfax County in 2026. Spanberger did not respond to questions on reversing these policies during a Tuesday event in Richmond.
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RICHMOND, VA — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) urged Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday to reverse the state's sanctuary policies. This call came amid murder charges against several undocumented immigrants in Fairfax County in 2026. Spanberger did not address questions on whether she would consider the DHS request during an event in Richmond.
DHS stated in a social media post that Spanberger should end policies allowing undocumented immigrants on Virginia streets and cooperate with federal authorities to protect residents. The agency noted that three of four suspects charged with murders in Fairfax County this year are undocumented immigrants.
Virginia, particularly Fairfax County, has seen multiple deadly incidents involving such suspects.
this month, authorities charged 28-year-old Misael Lopez Gomez, a Guatemalan national, with the murder of his 3-month-old daughter.
In a related case, 38-year-old Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, also from Guatemala, was charged with fatally stabbing a man in his home. Additionally, 32-year-old Abdul Jalloh, a Sierra Leone national and repeat offender, was charged with stabbing a victim to death at a bus stop in February. Spanberger did not comment on the DHS figure regarding the suspects' immigration status.
The incidents have drawn attention to Fairfax County's policies on immigration enforcement. Local authorities handled the arrests, but federal involvement in removals depends on coordination.
the start of her term, Spanberger joined other Democratic governors, including California's Gavin Newsom and Illinois' J.
B. Pritzker, in limiting local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration efforts. On January 17, she rescinded requirements for local-federal coordination on immigration matters. Spanberger stated that Virginia's resources should focus on state and local laws rather than federal civil immigration enforcement.
