Nearly one dozen Southwest and Southside localities were included on a list published Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security deemed to be “sanctuary jurisdictions.” Many of those localities are considered Republican strongholds that voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
That list included Amherst, Augusta, Brunswick, Charlotte, Halifax and Tazewell counties, along with the cities of Lynchburg and Martinsville — which was erroneously listed twice, as a county and a city — and the towns of Abingdon, Duffield and Tazewell. Abingdon, Tazewell and Duffield — a town with a population of 73 people — were also erroneously identified as “cities.” About 33 localities from across Virginia were included in that list. Update: As of Sunday morning, the list had been removed from the DHS site.
In its press release, the DHS alleged that localities on the list have obstructed “the enforcement of federal immigration laws.” The list was created by DHS following an executive order by Trump to identify localities that the administration considers to be out of compliance with federal law enforcement, that restrict information or provide legal protection for undocumented people, according to the federal agency.
“Virginia is not a sanctuary state,” Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin said during a press conference on Friday, in response to a question by a WRIC-TV reporter about the list. “Our collaboration with the federal agencies and resources has been complete.”
Virginia does not have sanctuary jurisdictions because the commonwealth is bound by the Dillon Rule. That rule requires that no locality is able to have a law in place that violates state law. All law enforcement officers and agencies in Virginia have the authority to enforce immigration laws of the United States, according to state statute. Everyone who is processed through the criminal justice system in Virginia has their fingerprints sent to DHS. This automatic sharing of information outlines direct coordination and cooperation between the federal agency and the state, according to the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.
“I do believe that each locality will be responding and I think we’ll see a bunch of them say ‘no we don’t belong on this list’ and they will clarify that they are not sanctuary cities,” Youngkin added.
Indeed, county, city and town managers and officials have pushed back against the addition of their locality to the list.
“The inclusion of the town of Abingdon on this was in error and it is not something that we were aware of. We have reached out to U.S. Representative Morgan Griffith’s office to request their assistance in rectifying this issue. We have also been in contact with our federal law enforcement partners and have been informed that the town of Abingdon would be removed from the list,” Abingdon Town Manager Mike Cochran said in an email on Friday.
He added that the Abingdon Police Department is in full compliance with all applicable federal laws and regulations, and that they fully cooperate with all local, county, state and federal law enforcement partners. Abingdon is located in Washington County, which Trump won with 76% of the vote in November.
Daniel Witt, administrator for Charlotte County, also said the inclusion of his locality was an error. He added that the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors has never voted to make the county a “sanctuary jurisdiction,” apart from a resolution they adopted a few years ago to make the locality a “Second Amendment sanctuary.” Trump won Charlotte County in November with 65% of the vote.
The Tazewell County Board of Supervisors also voted to designate their county as a “Second Amendment Sanctuary” in 2019. Nearly 84% of Tazewell voters cast their ballots for Trump in the 2024 election.
Tazewell County Administrator Eric Young noted that officials were surprised to find that their locality was “inaccurately” included on the DHS list. He added that they are contacting federal offices to request clarification.
“This designation is simply not accurate and does not reflect the county’s approach to public safety or immigration enforcement,” Tazewell County officials said in a press release on Friday. “Tazewell County does not have — nor has it ever had — any policy in place that limits or obstructs cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The County operates in full compliance with both state and federal laws and has consistently worked alongside federal partners in the interest of community safety.”
The Martinsville Police Department issued a statement on social media Thursday evening, after the DHS list was published.
“The Department of Homeland Security incorrectly reports that Martinsville, Virginia, is a sanctuary city,” the post read. “The city of Martinsville has never made such a declaration. Both the Martinsville Police Department and the Martinsville Sheriff’s Office comply with all federal regulations and work together with all state and federal agencies.”
“We will also inform [DHS] that the commonwealth of Virginia does not have a Martinsville County,” they added.
Martinsville, with 58% of the vote, and Brunswick County, with 53% of the vote, were the only two localities to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris out of the nearly one dozen Southwest and Southside localities that were included on the DHS list. The rest went to Trump in November by considerable margins.
Rep. Griffith, a Republican from Salem, issued a statement Friday afternoon that said localities in the 9th Congressional District — which includes Tazewell and Martinsville among others — are “very cooperative” with the federal government in the handling and detainment of undocumented people.
“It is a surprising development to see some of our localities listed as ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ by DHS. My office has been in contact with our liaisons in the federal government for an explanation and solution. As of now, we do not have a definitive answer. However, it appears that there may be some paperwork anomalies related to federal detainers, particularly at some regional jails,” he said.
Abingdon sends its inmates to the Abingdon Regional Jail, which is part of the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority. Though the regional jail has Abingdon in the title, it is not in the town limits and the town does not fund it, Cochran said.
“We are holding detainees for ICE at our jail now and have even done so without a contract for any payment. We have been negotiating with ICE for a long term agreement. But all along we still are holding detainees for them. We have some in custody today,” Young said.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., pointed out that the DHS list is “riddled with egregious errors,” in a statement on Friday.
“Martinsville isn’t a county and Duffield isn’t a city. Coupled with the Department of Health and Human Services’ report this week that cites nonexistent studies, I’m concerned that the Administration is turning to artificial intelligence to replace the work of dedicated civil servants that are being fired,” he said. “This is yet another reminder of why it’s important that agencies be staffed by experts, because putting inaccurate information out only sows chaos and confusion, and puts commonsense solutions to real problems further out of reach.”
“This list is further proof that the Trump administration’s obsession with government efficiency is nothing but cheap talk. The White House should get its basic facts straight before attempting to come after Virginia’s localities and its hardworking public servants,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said.