Virginia LULAC Supports SB 783 and Strengthening SB 783
- Virginia LULAC
- Feb 5
- 2 min read
February 5, 2026
Virginia LULAC, the Virginia chapter of the nation’s oldest and largest Latino civil rights advocacy organization, strongly supports SB 783 and amending SB 783 to better protect Virginia communities and defend against federal overreach. We urge the members of the Virginia Senate to adopt amendments that strengthen this bill and ensure it serves as a robust safeguard for all residents of the Commonwealth.
We encourage the Senators to include clear, strong language that will help Virginia defend itself against the current federal administration’s growing civil immigration enforcement actions.
On behalf of Virginia LULAC and our partners, we respectfully request your support for amendments to SB 783, also known as the bill limiting ICE agreements and local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement currently advancing through the General Assembly.
While SB 783 is an important step toward limiting 287(g) agreements and restricting local cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the current bill language does not fully address all forms of cooperation and civil immigration enforcement that harm immigrant communities.
To ensure this legislation meaningfully protects all Virginians, we respectfully request the following amendments:
Expand the definition of “federal immigration enforcement agreement” (lines 12–14) to explicitly include intergovernmental support agreements (IGSAs), which are commonly used to detain immigrants in local jails. This will close a loophole that could otherwise allow continued cooperation with ICE outside of 287(g) agreements.
Prohibit Virginia law enforcement from engaging in civil immigration enforcement duties even in the absence of a formal 287(g) agreement, by:
Banning questions about a person’s citizenship or immigration status during routine stops or arrests;
Prohibiting the sharing of information about immigration or citizenship status unless required by federal law or authorized by a judicial warrant;
Preventing any use of law-enforcement resources to assist in enforcing civil immigration laws.
These amendments will ensure that SB 783 comprehensively restricts all forms of local involvement in federal immigration enforcement and builds trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement.
We hope we can count on their continued support for Virginia’s immigrant communities and for legislation that reflects our Commonwealth’s values of fairness, safety, and equal justice under the law.
Supporting Our Collective Efforts
Please support our efforts and the efforts of our partners. Together with the Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights and all allied organizations, we need strong, clear language in SB 783 to safeguard our communities now more than ever.
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About Virginia LULAC
Virginia LULAC is the state chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the nation’s oldest and largest Latino civil rights advocacy organization. Our mission is to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health, housing, and civil rights of Hispanic Americans in the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond.
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