Overview
- Sen. Saddam Salim introduced three measures now in committee that have not yet received hearings, forming part of a broader Democratic push on immigration enforcement policy.
- SB 351 would bar most civil arrests at courthouses and for people traveling to or from proceedings, allowing them only with a judicially reviewed warrant and making violations punishable as contempt of court.
- SB 352 would restrict certain state and federal officers from wearing facial coverings on duty, with health and SWAT exceptions, create a Class 1 misdemeanor and a civil cause of action, remove sovereign immunity as a defense, and direct DCJS to develop a model policy; a fiscal note projects no material statewide cost.
- SB 783 would limit and require written agreements for state or local officers to perform federal immigration duties, set an expiration of June 30, 2028, and expand Community Policing Act data collection to note when federal immigration officers are present during stops and investigations.
- The ACLU of Virginia backed the package as a public-safety and civil-liberties measure, while GOP leaders cited the Constitution’s supremacy clause in questioning whether Virginia can constrain federal enforcement.