Spanberger’s new priorities are hard to miss
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger is putting state police to work on background checks for private gun sales, even as she blocks those same officers from helping federal agents arrest and remove illegal aliens convicted of violent crimes. That means ordinary Virginians trying to sell a firearm to another lawful adult now face more government scrutiny, while violent criminals here illegally get a softer touch from Richmond. If that sounds upside down, that is because it is. The left always claims to be about “safety,” but somehow their safety rules usually land on the shoulders of law-abiding citizens, not the people breaking the law in the first place.
A court order is now in the crosshairs
The move to restart private-sale background checks appears to clash with an October court order that had halted the practice, according to Philip Van Cleave of the Virginia Citizens Defense League. He said his group and Gun Owners of America are filing a motion for contempt of court. Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares blasted the double standard online, asking why state police are ordered to check Virginians exercising their Second Amendment rights while being barred under Spanberger’s executive order from alerting federal law enforcement when a violent illegal immigrant is being released. That question answers itself pretty quickly for anyone still awake.
Virginia’s gun rules are tightening fast
The pressure on gun owners did not come out of nowhere. The Virginia General Assembly passed a bill raising the legal age to buy a firearm from 18 to 21, and it included an emergency enactment clause so it took effect right away instead of waiting until July 1. The same bill also brought back universal background checks for all firearm sales and seemed aimed squarely at challenging the court order that had stopped private-sale checks. In plain English, lawmakers pushed the gun restrictions first, then acted surprised when the state had to scramble to make the paperwork fit. Government can move fast when it wants to, which is funny because it usually moves like a sleepwalker when citizens need help.
ICE cooperation was shut down
Spanberger’s first moves in office also told a clear story on immigration enforcement. Executive Order 10 reversed a Youngkin-era order that required state and local police to work with ICE to remove violent illegal aliens from Virginia streets. Her Executive Directive 1 went further, telling state law enforcement agencies to end all 287(g) agreements and related memoranda with ICE. Critics say that means Virginia is now making life easier for people who broke immigration law and, in some cases, committed violent crimes, while making life harder for people who followed the rules and want to buy a gun legally. The message is not subtle, and neither is the political bias behind it.
State police reversed course after public pressure
For a while, the Virginia State Police website said private-sale background checks were no longer available or required because of the court order. As of May 21, that notice was still up, more than a month after the bill became law. But the page later changed and now says the checks are available again. The shift appears to have followed a Cardinal News report highlighting the delay, after which Democrat Del. Garrett McGuire said “lives are on the line right now” and claimed he was working with the Spanberger administration to get the checks moving. By Wednesday, the administration confirmed the background checks would resume. Meanwhile, Spanberger has already signed other anti-Second Amendment bills, including one banning so-called assault weapons and standard-capacity magazines, which has already triggered lawsuits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vj-yFBEJN4
https://x.com/VCDL_ORG/status/2059815646125519159?s=20
https://x.com/JasonMiyaresVA/status/2060026235154022540?s=20
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