January 23, 2026
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State AGs Say Sanctuary Policies Push ICE Into Streets, Cite Virginia Shift From Youngkin to Spanberger

Republican officials in several states told Fox News that laws and policies blocking local cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement are forcing ICE to rely on more visible, "at‑large" community arrests instead of quiet jail pickups, a dynamic they argue has helped fuel unrest like the recent Minnesota protests. Citing a New York Times analysis, the piece notes that states such as California, Illinois, New York, Washington and Oregon now see more than 90% of ICE arrests made in the community because jails won’t honor detainers. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and Alabama AG Steve Marshall say their states avoid that kind of street‑level chaos by cooperating with ICE under programs like 287(g), while blasting Democratic jurisdictions for "welcoming" offenders back into their communities. The article frames Virginia as a looming test case, recounting that former Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a 287(g) deal to help ICE identify and transfer jailed noncitizens, while new Gov. Abigail Spanberger has taken "sweeping day‑one actions" to break with ICE and align the state with sanctuary‑style limits. The piece reflects a broader political push by GOP officials to blame local non‑cooperation for volatile federal raids and protests, even as it leans heavily on partisan characterizations rather than fresh public data or independent analysis.

Immigration & Demographic Change ICE Raids and Federal–State Conflict

📌 Key Facts

  • New York Times data cited showing at-large ICE arrests dominate in states that bar local cooperation, including California, Illinois, New York, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and Alaska
  • Kentucky AG Russell Coleman and Alabama AG Steve Marshall say their pro‑ICE cooperation policies keep enforcement inside jails and have prevented Minnesota‑style street clashes
  • Virginia previously entered a 287(g) cooperation agreement under Gov. Glenn Youngkin, but new Gov. Abigail Spanberger has moved on day one to break with ICE, making the state a test of how such a shift affects enforcement and unrest

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