Virginians are fed up with the Left’s open borders policies—a good sign for Republican incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares.

by Hayden Ludwig

A new poll by Restoration of America shows 61% of Virginians back President Trump’s deportation policies, while 68% support Attorney General Jason Miyares’ plan to abolish sanctuary counties across the commonwealth.

Illegal immigration is emerging as a major issue in the critical November race, when Virginians will elect a new governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. Incumbent Miyares, who is running for a second term, has come out strongly in favor of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in contrast to Democrat Jay Jones, who refuses to say whether he supports ICE enforcing immigration law in Virginia while blasting Miyares’ “partisan political agenda.”

Democrats killed Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) effort to ban sanctuary cities during budget negotiations in February, which would’ve required counties and cities cooperate with ICE detainers. In response, Youngkin — assisted by Miyares — ordered state law enforcement to work with ICE under the 287(g) program, which allows local authorities to apprehend illegal aliens until they’re transferred into federal custody. Restoration News has covered the 287(g) program and the radical Left’s resistance to it here.

Virginia has more sanctuary jurisdictions than any other state in the union, according to data from the Center for Immigration Studies, the result of Democrat takeover of its largest cities—shielding even violent criminals from law enforcement.

Miyares prompted that push to bolster ICE support last September. “Virginia’s law enforcement professionals have both the authority and a moral duty to cooperate with every lawful federal immigration order to the maximum extent possible,” he announced. “Should an illegal immigrant be detained in a Virginia jail, there is nothing in law preventing our local and state law enforcement from cooperating with federal agencies.

“To those who refuse to cooperate with ICE: Shame on you.”

The plan is showing results. ICE has arrested at least 2,000 illegal aliens in Virginia since March, mostly in Chesterfield County (a sanctuary county) and Northern Virginia. That includes alleged MS-13 gang members with illegal firearm convictions, a Jamaican convicted of second-degree murder, and a Mexican arrested for child sex crimes.

In response, Democrats have screeched and howled, calling the raids a “rupture in the social covenant” and comparing them with Nazi Germany.

Yet the Restoration of America poll shows just 33% of Virginians oppose ending sanctuary jurisdictions and only 39% oppose Trump’s immigration policies.

Early voting begins Friday, September 19 for the November 4 election.

Hayden Ludwig lives in the Richmond area. He is founder and managing editor of Restoration News. This column is republished here with permission from Restoration News.