Virginia AG faces criticism over immigration probe and driver-record lawsuit

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones has drawn fire from GOP officials who claim his recent actions betray the state’s interest in public safety. Jones’ Office of Civil Rights notified Greene County Sheriff Steve Smith that it is investigating alleged violations of state law and constitutional rights in traffic stops that have been coordinated with ICE, including a June sweep that resulted in 49 detentions. Republican House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore framed the investigation as part of a larger Democratic reluctance to work with the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement.

In a separate legal battle, Jones joined a lawsuit contesting the Department of Transportation’s request for a bulk transfer of commercial-driver records covering about 17 million drivers, a move praised after Judge Anthony Trenga temporarily halted the data collection. The AG praised the injunction as a protection of driver privacy, while opponents argue the suit shields undocumented drivers who may pose risks on highways. The controversy unfolds amid Virginia’s recent shift away from former Governor Glenn Youngkin’s ICE-cooperation policies, highlighted by Governor Spanberger’s rescission of an ICE-friendly order and the signing of a law limiting state participation in federal immigration enforcement.