(The Center Square) – Virginia ranked the best state for immigrants for the second year in a row in a national study, a designation that spans two administrations as the commonwealth debates changes to immigration enforcement policies.
The report evaluated states across several economic, social and legal factors affecting immigrants, including employment opportunities, income levels and state policy environments.
Virginia placed first overall in the 2025 report and held the top spot again this year.
The latest ranking comes less than two months after first-term Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger took office on Jan. 17, meaning most of the data measured in the study reflects economic and demographic conditions that developed before the transition from former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Virginia has also experienced steady population growth driven largely by migration in recent years.
Population estimates released Feb. 24 by the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service show the state added 170,326 residents through net migration between 2020 and 2025, accounting for about 68.5% of Virginia’s population growth during that period.
The ranking arrives as state leaders are reshaping aspects of immigration enforcement policy.
Earlier this year, Spanberger directed several state law enforcement agencies to end participation in agreements allowing state officers to carry out certain federal immigration enforcement duties.
Those agreements fall under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows trained state and local officers to perform limited immigration enforcement functions under federal supervision through partnerships with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The directive applies to state agencies including the Virginia State Police and the Virginia Department of Corrections.
Local sheriffs’ offices, however, operate independently from the governor’s authority and may continue participating in the federal program if they choose.
Federal records show multiple Virginia sheriff’s offices currently participate in the 287(g) program under several models, including task force partnerships and warrant service officer agreements.
According to ICE data updated March 9, the agency has signed more than 1,500 agreements nationwide with state and local law enforcement agencies across dozens of states, including several sheriff’s offices in Virginia.
