FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Laura Trask
Director of Development and Communications
[email protected]
Washington, D.C. (March 3, 2025) — Ayuda strongly condemns Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 47 as a harmful and politically motivated attack on immigrant communities.
This order directs the Virginia State Police and the Virginia Department of Corrections to formally collaborate with ICE and creates a task force responsible for aiding ICE enforcement actions under the guise of public safety. In reality, the order does nothing to enhance public safety and instead stokes fear, spreads misinformation, and undermines trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.
At Ayuda, we stand with all immigrants, regardless of status, and reject policies that attempt to scapegoat and criminalize individuals based on their background. Executive Order 47 echoes dangerous rhetoric that has been debunked time and time again: immigrants are not a threat to public safety. In fact, studies consistently show that immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than U.S.-born individuals. Policies like this one not only fail to protect Virginians but actively harm communities by discouraging cooperation with law enforcement and fueling xenophobic narratives.
Rather than addressing real public safety concerns, this executive order furthers a divisive political agenda at the expense of immigrant families who contribute every day to the economic, cultural, and social fabric of our Commonwealth. At a time when Virginia should be working to foster inclusive and welcoming communities, Governor Youngkin is choosing to double down on fearmongering and exclusion.
Ayuda remains committed to advocating for the dignity, rights, and well-being of all immigrants in Virginia. We call on Governor Youngkin to rescind this harmful order and instead pursue policies that promote real community safety—ones that build trust, support immigrant families, and respect the humanity of all Virginians.
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About Ayuda:
Ayuda provides direct legal, social, and language access services to low-income immigrants in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Since 1973, Ayuda has served more than 150,000 immigrants throughout the region. Ayuda is the only nonprofit service provider in the area that provides a wide range of immigration and family law assistance, social services, and language access support for all immigrants – including women, men, and children – from anywhere in the world. Visit www.ayuda.com to learn more.
