Sen. Mark Warner Says Biden 'Screwed Up' Border and ICE Is Mostly Arresting Non‑Criminal Migrants in Virginia
Sen. Mark Warner, D‑Va., told Fox News’ 'Special Report' that the Biden administration 'screwed up the border' while also asserting that roughly 75% of people arrested by ICE in Virginia have no criminal record beyond entering illegally, despite federal claims that agents are targeting the 'worst of the worst.' Asked whether he supports new Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s move to end state law‑enforcement collaboration with ICE on criminal cases, Warner said he backs focusing on migrants with criminal records but argued that is not what is actually happening under President Trump’s mass‑deportation agenda. He linked his concerns to recent incidents, including the fatal ICE shooting of U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis and a separate shooting of an alleged undocumented immigrant, and criticized masked ICE agents for grabbing parents at school drop‑offs and work sites in ways he says are destroying trust and leaving children stranded. Warner added that, based on what he has seen in Minnesota, there is 'virtually no collaboration' between local police and ICE, and he blamed federal tactics for that breakdown. His comments put a prominent centrist Democrat on record critiquing both the prior Democratic administration’s border failures and the current Republican administration’s enforcement approach, underscoring how volatile ICE’s role has become in national politics.
📌 Key Facts
- On Fox News’ 'Special Report,' Sen. Mark Warner said the Biden administration 'screwed up the border.'
- Warner cited records showing that about 75% of ICE arrestees in Virginia have no criminal record beyond immigration violations.
- He said he supports targeting migrants with criminal records but claimed that is not what ICE is doing under President Trump’s mass‑deportation push.
- Warner referenced the Minneapolis killing of U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross and another ICE shooting of an alleged undocumented immigrant as examples of troubling tactics.
- He argued that masked ICE agents arresting parents at school drop‑off and workplaces has shattered trust and driven 'virtually no collaboration' between local law enforcement and ICE in Minnesota.
📊 Relevant Data
In Virginia, approximately 71% of individuals arrested by ICE between January and July 2025 had no prior criminal convictions, with only 29% having convictions and less than 16% having pending charges.
Nationally, as of November 30, 2025, 73.6% of individuals held in ICE detention have no criminal conviction, with 48,377 out of 65,735 detainees falling into this category.
Immigration Detention Quick Facts — TRAC Reports
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States, with over 80,000 ethnic Somalis as of 2025, many arriving through U.S. refugee resettlement programs starting in the 1990s following the Somali civil war.
How Minnesota became the center of the Somali diaspora — Sahan Journal
In Minnesota, Somali immigrants experience higher poverty rates, with one in eight children in poverty living in a Somali immigrant home as of 2025, and 39% of working-age Somalis having no high school diploma.
Somali Immigrants in Minnesota — Center for Immigration Studies
Immigrants in Minnesota contributed approximately $26 billion to the state's economy in 2025, with Somali Minnesotans contributing $8 billion, representing a significant portion of economic activity through labor force participation and entrepreneurship.
Economist: Immigrants contribute $26 billion to Minnesota's economy — MPR News
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time