By Sabrina Moreno, reprinted from axios.com, June 5, 2025

Virginia is one of five states where efforts to arrest and remove unauthorized immigrants appear most aggressive, according to an Axios analysis.

Why it matters: Over 2,000 Virginians received removal orders in March, the fifth-highest number nationwide, per data from the nonpartisan Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC).

By the numbers: Of the 42,000 removals of immigrants ordered in March, over 300 were from the Richmond area, according to an analysis of TRAC data.

• Richmond had 126, followed by Chesterfield (116) and Henrico (81).
• And Fairfax County was in the top 10 U.S. localities for most immigrants ordered removed (504).

The big picture: Our review of removal orders and agreements between immigration officials and local law enforcement agencies shows where the Trump administration is dispatching resources for mass deportations.

• Local law enforcement agencies in Virginia, Texas, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina have been most cooperative with immigration enforcement in rounding up immigrants through deals known as 287(g) agreements, per our analysis.
• Virginia has a fraction (over 3%) of the 629 agreements in place nationwide, but it has the fifth-highest number signed or pending.

Between the lines: Virginia’s 21 signed and pending agreements are still less than 10% of the hundreds of localities and state agencies throughout the commonwealth.

• Most, except for Loudoun, are concentrated in Republican-leaning counties.
• Others are among state agencies, including the Virginia Department for Wildlife Resources and the Marine Resources Commission.
• And some police officials, including Richmond’s chief of police, have said they have no interest in signing and potentially undermining the communities’ trust.

Zoom in: Gov. Youngkin, like governors in other GOP-led states, directed state law enforcement to partner with ICE and assist in arresting immigrants back in February via these agreements.

• It has since led to a series of high-profile raids, including hundreds in Northern Virginia and a few in an Albemarle courthouse, that have rattled immigrant communities.

• In February, Virginia also launched the first task force in the country that partners with federal agencies to target illegal immigration and international gangs.
• In May, Youngkin announced that the task force had arrested over 1,000 alleged unauthorized immigrants within two months.

Reality check: Neither Youngkin or federal officials have publicly disclosed who these people are or how they’re identifying that they have ties to gangs like MS-13 or Tren de Aragua.

What we’re watching: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is demanding ICE agents triple the number of daily arrests to 3,000 people.

• Immigration advocates have warned that these wide sweeps could lead to citizens and legal immigrants being wrongfully detained or deported.

Go deeper: Where the hot spots are for immigration enforcement.