Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger said her first action if elected would be to declare Virginia a sanctuary state, ending mandatory cooperation between local police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Spanberger, a three-term U.S. House member, told a local newspaper that she does not regard unauthorized border crossings as a "real crime" and would rescind Governor Glenn Youngkin’s 2022 order compelling state and local agencies to honor ICE detainers. The proposal positions immigration enforcement as a central fault line in the November election, where control of the governor’s mansion will help determine whether Republicans maintain or lose influence in a state Joe Biden carried by 10 points in 2020.