Virginia ICE Arrests Surge 590% Under Trump — Nearly 11,000 in First Year vs. 1,595 in All of 2024; New Restrictions Coming July 1

VPM (Virginia Public Media) published detailed enforcement data on May 1, 2026 revealing that immigration arrests in Virginia surged from 1,595 in all of calendar year 2024 to nearly 11,000 between Trump's inauguration in January 2025 and early March 2026 — a roughly 590% increase. The data reflects both the expanded 287(g) program and direct ICE enforcement operations. As of early April 2026, the Riverside Regional Jail Authority alone had booked 7,344 people linked to federal immigration enforcement since January 2025 under a 287(g)-related agreement. Virginia's enforcement surge coincides with sharp expansion of 287(g) Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) nationally — which grew from 1,586 (March 30) to 1,782 MOAs covering 39 states and 2 territories by May 1, 2026. However, Virginia is moving in the opposite direction: Governor Abigail Spanberger issued an executive directive requiring state law enforcement agencies (State Police, Corrections, Conservation Police, Marine Police) to exit all 287(g) agreements. And two bills — HB1441 and SB783 — approved by the Virginia General Assembly and signed into law are set to take effect July 1, 2026, sharply restricting 287(g) participation and limiting how and when Virginia officers may perform federal immigration enforcement functions. Local sheriff-level 287(g) contracts remain up to individual localities and are not affected by Spanberger's state-level directives. The data underscores a deepening divide between state governance and local sheriff decisions on ICE cooperation in Virginia, mirroring a national pattern in which state governments try to restrict cooperation while county-level law enforcement expands it.