Trump Border Czar Vows to Bypass Spanberger Order Ending Virginia–ICE Cooperation

In a new podcast interview, White House border czar Tom Homan said the Trump administration will “work around” Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s executive order directing state and local police not to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and will respond by sending more federal agents into the state. Homan, a Virginia resident, blasted Spanberger for what he called a sharp break from her law‑and‑order campaign persona and accused her of abandoning child‑trafficking victims by refusing to help ICE transfer noncitizens from local jails. He said the administration is already using similar workarounds in New York, California, Oregon and Illinois, which he described as “not friendly” to ICE, and reiterated plans to hire “thousands of agents” and “flood sanctuary cities” so federal teams can track down noncitizens released from jails. Homan also claimed ICE has located about 130,000 previously missing migrant children, many allegedly exploited in sex trafficking or forced labor, contrasting that with what he said was inaction by the prior administration—figures that are his assertions and not independently substantiated in this piece. The remarks underscore an escalating clash between the White House and blue‑state governors over immigration enforcement, with federal officials openly planning to increase street‑level raids and arrests when local law‑enforcement agencies refuse to honor detainers.