Restoration News has reported that Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones is facing scrutiny for his stance on sanctuary cities for undocumented immigrants while opposing sanctuary protections for gun owners. This situation highlights tensions involving the role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in local immigration enforcement.
According to YourNews.com, an article published on August 18 pointed out the stark contrast in Jones’s positions—supporting “sanctuary cities for illegal aliens” while challenging the legality of local sanctuary protections for gun owners in 2019. The piece frames his shift as politically risky, suggesting it protects non-citizens while penalizing law-abiding residents. The article explicitly mentioned ICE by contrasting Jones’s stance on immigration enforcement with his opposition to Second Amendment “sanctuary” proposals.
In December 2019, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring issued a formal advisory opinion stating that “Second Amendment sanctuary” resolutions—those passed by localities to defy or reject future gun restrictions—carry “no legal force” and cannot nullify state law. He emphasized that when the General Assembly enacts new gun safety laws, they “will be enforced, and they will be followed.” This ruling was referenced as the legal basis underlying Jones’s 2019 position opposing sanctuary measures for gun owners.
According to Virginia Mercury (August 2025), several Virginia localities—including Richmond, Fairfax, and Arlington—have publicly refrained from cooperating with ICE in enforcing federal immigration laws. For instance, Fairfax’s Trust Policy explicitly prohibits county employees from voluntary cooperation with ICE, reflecting a growing divide between local jurisdictions and federal immigration enforcement efforts. These developments underscore the context in which Jones’s support for sanctuary cities for undocumented immigrants is playing out.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security states that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is responsible for enforcing federal immigration laws, managing immigration detainers, and conducting removal operations through its divisions—Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). ICE often relies on cooperation with local law enforcement agencies to carry out detainer requests and immigration holds, though such cooperation varies by jurisdiction and policy.
