Virginia has about a quarter of a million illegal immigrants, five sanctuary localities

More than a quarter of a million people in Virginia immigrated to the country illegally, according to estimates, and five localities do not fully work with federal law enforcement regarding deportations.

Although the government does not have data on the exact number of immigrants who came to the country illegally, estimates for the Virginia population are usually somewhere between 250,000 and 275,000. Some proponents of stricter immigration control have warned the failure to enforce immigration laws has become a burden on local economies and has made communities less safe.

Most people in Virginia who have immigrated illegally came from south of the United States border, according to the Migration Policy Institute. About 62% came from Mexico or Central America, about 10% came from South America and another 1% came from the Caribbean, which encompasses nearly three-quarters. About 19% of people who immigrated illegally came from Asia, 5% came from Africa and just 3% came from Canada, Europe or Oceania.

About 70% of people who immigrated illegally in Virginia are employed, about 4% are unemployed and another 26% are not in the labor force.

Although most Virginia localities fully cooperate with federal law enforcement for deportations, five Virginia localities are labeled as sanctuary jurisdictions by the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports lower immigration rates and stricter enforcement of immigration laws. Some localities have disputed their inclusion on the list.

Mark Krikorian, the executive director of CIS, told The Center Square police departments in sanctuary jurisdictions refuse to fully cooperate with federal law enforcement when local police arrest a person who is deportable. Instead of reporting the person to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he said they will either refuse to notify ICE or will notify them shortly before the person is released, which prevents ICE from enforcing immigration laws.

“They refuse basic cooperation with federal law enforcement,” Krikorian said. “...They’re undermining the safety of their own citizens by doing this.”

Krikorian said there is dispute about the crime rate of immigrants who entered the country illegally, but that those who are engaged in criminal activity should not be released back into the community if they are deportable. He said this makes communities less safe for everyone, including for those who reside in the community illegally and are not otherwise committing crimes.

In addition to the safety concerns, Krikorian noted people who enter the country illegally tend to have lower levels of education and are more likely to be eligible for certain government benefits, which can put a strain on economies if the illegal immigration rate is high.

Under Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who came into power after two consecutive Democratic governorships, the state diverted $10 million away from scholarships for DACA students and allocated them to historically black colleges and universities. Apart from this change, most policies related to immigration enforcement have remained the same.