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Three bills seeking to restrict federal immigration enforcement in Virginia remain alive with less than two weeks left in the General Assembly’s 2026 session.
Introduced by Fairfax state Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim, a Democrat, the measures are awaiting action by the full House of Delegates. If approved, they could advance to Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
Salim said he is coordinating with the bills’ House patrons and expects the legislation to reach the governor. He also expressed confidence that the policies are appropriate for Virginia and would survive court challenges.
Each proposal cleared the Senate by a margin of three votes or fewer. Together, they seek to limit certain activities by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies as the Trump administration pursues mass deportations.
That campaign has brought an increase in ICE arrests, along with reports of racial profiling, crowded detention facilities and multiple deaths involving people in ICE custody and citizens protesting immigration operations.
The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down since Feb. 13 as congressional Democrats demand stronger restrictions on ICE before agreeing to fund the agency.
SB 351 would make it a state-law violation to carry out a civil arrest of someone attending a required court hearing. Immigration officers would also need to present a judicial warrant before entering the facility.
The measure follows reports that immigration officials detained several people inside the Fairfax County Courthouse last summer. Such arrests would be prohibited under the bill.
SB 352 would generally prevent certain law enforcement officers from covering their faces, with limited exceptions. SB 783 would restrict which law enforcement personnel may perform immigration-officer functions.
Salim said in January that the three measures share a goal of assuring immigrants, protesters and other Virginians who value peace and justice that the commonwealth and its law enforcement agencies support them.
The House gave all three bills their second reading Tuesday, positioning them for possible final votes when delegates reconvene at noon Wednesday or later in the week.
Delegates have until March 12 to act. Each bill needs a simple majority, and Democrats control 64 of the House’s 100 seats as part of their state-government trifecta.
If the legislation reaches Spanberger, state law gives her until April 13 to sign, amend or veto it.
Spanberger has already moved to reduce cooperation between state agencies and ICE. Shortly after taking office, she signed an executive order directing the Virginia State Police, Department of Corrections and other agencies to terminate their agreements with ICE.