Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones faces criticism for a civil rights investigation into a sheriff’s traffic-stop practices and a legal challenge against federal immigration enforcement policies.
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones is under scrutiny due to two significant disputes related to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agenda. These controversies involve a civil rights investigation into the traffic-stop practices of Greene County Sheriff Steve Smith, as well as a legal challenge concerning federal access to commercial driver records.
Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore expressed his concerns, stating that these disputes reflect a broader reluctance among Virginia’s Democratic leadership to cooperate with the Trump administration. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Kilgore criticized Jones for launching an investigation into Sheriff Smith’s operations, claiming it exemplifies the administration’s disdain for Trump. “That’s just this whole administration’s modus operandi, to put it bluntly,” Kilgore said. “They are so mad at Trump, they want to make sure they don’t want to cooperate with Trump in any area whatsoever, and they want to make it unsafe for Virginians.”
The investigation into Sheriff Smith was initiated by Jones’ Office of Civil Rights, which notified the sheriff that it was looking into allegations regarding the Greene County Sheriff’s Office’s traffic-stop practices and its cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“I applaud the Greene County sheriff for working with ICE to make sure we don’t have illegals on our roads, illegals out here committing crimes and things of that nature,” Kilgore added. “Unlike our attorney general, who’s the chief law enforcement officer of our state out here picking fights with sheriffs over illegal immigrants.”
This controversy arises amid a shift in Virginia’s immigration enforcement policy under Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger. On her first day in office, Spanberger, who endorsed Jones, rescinded former Governor Glenn Youngkin’s order that encouraged cooperation with ICE. Additionally, she signed a law on April 22, sponsored by Delegate Alfonso Lopez, D-Arlington, which restricts state and local participation in federal civil immigration enforcement.
Jones’ Office of Civil Rights communicated to Sheriff Smith that it was reviewing allegations that the Greene County Sheriff’s Office may be conducting traffic stops in violation of state law and the Constitution. The office demanded records related to immigration enforcement policies, training materials, and interagency agreements.
Smith’s deputies have participated in multiple operations with ICE, which is notable for a small, rural county located along major transportation routes. A June operation near the intersection of U.S. 29 and U.S. 33 resulted in the detention of 49 individuals by ICE. U.S. 29 connects Washington, D.C., with Charlottesville and points south, while U.S. 33 connects Richmond with western Virginia. In another operation in nearby Ruckersville in May, a Honduran man identified by the Department of Homeland Security as an MS-13 gang member was among 26 individuals arrested.
“Tell me what kind of message that’s sending to the citizens of Virginia — that it’s more important for me to protect illegal folks who are here illegally than to protect our citizens here,” Kilgore remarked.
In previous comments to local media, Sheriff Smith defended his operations, stating that his deputies apply reasonable suspicion — “the same as we do for all vehicles” — as the standard for initiating traffic stops. Local activists have accused deputies of profiling, while Smith maintains that common traffic violations such as speeding, failure to maintain a lane, and running red lights typically prompt stops.
Former Delegate Nick Freitas criticized the investigation, stating, “Oh, look, the Virginia AG is going after a cop for doing actual cop things.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Jones, Spanberger, and ICE for comments regarding the situation. Smith declined to comment, citing his retention of counsel, but previously told the Piedmont Journal-Recorder that he intends to “continue to assist ICE with their operations” after discussing the new law with Delegate Karen Hamilton, R-Stanardsville.
State Senator Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, whose district neighbors Greene County, expressed disappointment over the situation. “Certainly we all want people who come into this country to come in legally, but the people that are here are for the most part here to fill a need and that’s work,” he stated.
Former Delegate Kim Taylor, R-Petersburg, criticized Jones’ actions as hypocritical, referencing past messages Jones sent that included violent imagery towards a political opponent. “For an attorney general who once talked about putting ‘two bullets’ in a political opponent to now lecture law enforcement is hypocrisy at its worst,” Taylor said.
In addition to the investigation into Sheriff Smith, Jones has joined a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s demand for a bulk transfer of commercial driver records covering approximately 17 million drivers. This lawsuit arises as the U.S. Department of Transportation intensifies its crackdown on drivers who do not meet English-language requirements or illegal immigrant truckers accused of causing deadly accidents.
Jones celebrated a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga, a George W. Bush appointee, who temporarily blocked the bulk transfer of the records, calling it an “important win for protecting the privacy of millions of commercial drivers.”
An ICE spokesperson confirmed the Ruckersville operation near U.S. 29, including the arrests of 49 illegal immigrants. “All of the illegal aliens were transported to ICE facilities for further processing and will receive due process. They will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings,” the spokesperson stated. “Partnerships with law enforcement are critical to having the resources we need to arrest illegal aliens across the country. When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with DHS, our law enforcement officers have to have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities.”
Kilgore, whose southwestern Virginia district includes mountainous stretches of U.S. 58 and lies near Interstate 81, criticized the lawsuit as “just another way that they try to stick their thumb in the administration’s eye.” He added, “Once again, we’re siding with illegals or foreigners who are here driving 18-wheelers… who could harm our citizens because they’re not qualified. I don’t understand why the Democrats are so, so against these activities that make sure that our highways are safe.”
According to Fox News Digital, the ongoing disputes highlight the tensions between state and federal immigration enforcement policies in Virginia.