From a new governor’s first-day rollback of ICE cooperation in Virginia, to journalists attacked while covering anti-ICE riots in Minneapolis, to Maryland lawmakers moving to block ICE agents from local law enforcement, the weekend’s stories demonstrate how deeply immigration is reshaping public safety, political power, and life on the ground across the country.
Virginia’s New Governor Reverses Course on ICE Cooperation
Virginia’s new governor wasted little time taking a sharp change in direction on immigration enforcement.
Within hours of being sworn in Saturday, Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed Executive Order 10, formally rescinding a policy put in place by her Republican predecessor that required state and local law enforcement to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The move immediately ended a year-long effort that had helped federal authorities take custody of thousands of illegal immigrants with criminal records.
Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 47, signed in February 2025, directed Virginia law enforcement and corrections officials to assist ICE during enforcement operations. According to data from Youngkin’s administration, more than 6,200 illegal immigrants were arrested statewide between February and November 2025, including members of MS-13, Tren de Aragua, and other transnational criminal organizations.
Critics say Spanberger’s reversal will have serious public safety consequences. Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares called the decision “a disaster,” warning that ending cooperation with federal immigration authorities would make communities less safe. “There will be Virginians who will be robbed, raped, and murdered as a result of this anti–public safety executive order,” Miyares said.
Spanberger, who campaigned on repealing the policy, defended the decision by arguing that immigration enforcement should remain a federal responsibility. In the executive order, she said state and local law enforcement should focus on “core responsibilities” such as investigating crime, staffing jails, and community engagement.
Spanberger’s victory over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in November capped a Democratic sweep of Virginia’s top offices, leaving Democrats in control of both the executive branch and the legislature. Alongside the ICE rollback, the new governor is advancing other progressive priorities, including expanded voting rights for felons, a higher minimum wage, constitutional protections for same-sex marriage, and new DEI leadership appointments.
Journalists Targeted While Covering Anti-ICE Riots in Minneapolis
As immigration enforcement continues to spark political and street-level conflict, journalists covering the issue are increasingly finding themselves in danger.
Independent journalist Nick Sortor had his $1,000 camera stolen Sunday while reporting on riots opposing ICE operations in Minneapolis. Video recorded by fellow journalist Cam Higby shows a chaotic scene in which a mob surrounded Sortor’s vehicle, vandalized it, and issued death threats.
According to Sortor, suspects drove away with his camera while his hand was caught in a car door, dragging him down an icy sidewalk. Bystanders reportedly told the journalists they “didn’t belong” in Minnesota as the group followed their vehicle for nearly half an hour, honking and harassing them.
The FBI’s Rapid Response team acknowledged the incident publicly on X, confirming it was involved in the investigation—an update Sortor welcomed.
ICE has deployed hundreds of agents to the Minneapolis–St. Paul area amid investigations into massive welfare fraud schemes in Minnesota, which officials estimate have cost taxpayers at least $9 billion. Some of the funds are alleged to have ties to the Somalia-based terrorist group Al-Shabaab. Tensions escalated further after an ICE agent was wounded during an ambush by illegal immigrants.
This was not the first time Sortor and other conservative journalists were attacked while covering anti-ICE protests.
Maryland Democrats Move to Block ICE Agents From Law Enforcement Jobs
In Maryland, a Democratic lawmaker is pushing legislation that would further separate ICE from state and local law enforcement.
State Del. Adrian Boafo introduced the “ICE Breaker Act of 2026,” a bill that would prohibit ICE agents hired after President Donald Trump’s return to office on Jan. 20, 2025, from working as police officers or law enforcement officials in Maryland.
Boafo says the measure is a response to constituent concerns and claims ICE agents are not properly trained to serve in local policing roles. “Marylanders deserve people who will protect them,” he wrote on X, adding that he plans to introduce similar legislation at the federal level.
Law enforcement advocates have rejected the effort. Betsy Smith of the National Police Association called the bill misleading and unnecessary, noting that local police departments already have rigorous hiring standards that prevent unqualified candidates from being hired.
Boafo clarified that ICE agents who joined the agency before Trump’s inauguration would not be affected, and that the bill would not prevent former ICE personnel from working in non-law-enforcement roles within state government.
Republicans were less charitable in their assessment. State Del. Matt Morgan dismissed the proposal as “an unserious” and “stupid bill” designed for political pandering, questioning why the restrictions would apply only to ICE agents hired under the current administration and not earlier ones.
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