January 1, BETRAYAL: Woke Virginia AG Launches Shocking Attack On Sheriff For ONE Thing

Wyatt’s Take

• Virginia’s Democrat Attorney General Jay Jones is investigating a rural sheriff for the ‘crime’ of cooperating with ICE to keep illegal immigrants off the roads — while simultaneously blocking Trump’s crackdown on unqualified foreign truckers.
• Greene County Sheriff Steve Smith helped ICE arrest dozens of illegal aliens, including a known MS-13 gang member, but now faces a civil rights probe from Jones for doing his job to protect Virginians.
• This is what happens when woke prosecutors care more about protecting lawbreakers than hardworking Americans — Jones even blocked access to commercial driver records that could expose illegal immigrant truckers who can’t speak English.

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones is drawing massive backlash over two separate battles with the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agenda. The Democrat AG launched a civil rights investigation into a rural sheriff who dared to work with ICE, while simultaneously filing suit to block federal access to commercial driver records that could expose illegal immigrant truckers.

Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore didn’t mince words when speaking to Fox News Digital about what he sees as a pattern of obstruction from Virginia’s Democrat leadership.

“That’s just this whole administration’s modus operandi, to put it bluntly, 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 make it unsafe for Virginians.”

The controversy exploded when Jones’ Office of Civil Rights notified Greene County Sheriff Steve Smith that it launched an investigation into his department’s traffic-stop practices and cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Sheriff Smith’s small rural department has participated in several successful ICE operations, notable for a county of its size located along major transportation routes.

Kilgore came to the sheriff’s defense with kitchen-table common sense.

“I applaud the Greene County sheriff for working with ICE to make that we don’t have illegals on our roads, illegals out here committing crimes and things of that nature, unlike our attorney general, who’s the chief law enforcement officer of our state out here picking fights with sheriffs over illegal immigrants.”

The timing couldn’t be more telling. This comes as Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger — who endorsed Jones — has systematically dismantled the state’s immigration enforcement cooperation.

On her first day in office, Spanberger rescinded former Governor Glenn Youngkin’s order encouraging ICE cooperation. She later signed a law on April 22 restricting state and local participation in federal civil immigration enforcement.

Jones’ office demanded records from Sheriff Smith concerning immigration enforcement policies, training materials, and interagency agreements. But here’s what the AG conveniently ignores: Smith’s deputies have been getting dangerous criminals off Virginia’s streets.

A June operation near the intersection of U.S. 29 and U.S. 33 resulted in 49 people being detained by ICE. U.S. 29 connects Washington, D.C., with Charlottesville and points south, while U.S. 33 connects Richmond with western Virginia — critical arteries for commerce and travel.

Even more damning: a Honduran man identified by DHS as an MS-13 gang member was among 26 people arrested during another operation in nearby Ruckersville in May. That’s a violent gangbanger taken off the streets, and Jones wants to investigate the sheriff who helped catch him.

Kilgore captured the insanity perfectly.

“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.”

Sheriff Smith previously defended his operations, explaining that his deputies apply the same reasonable suspicion standard to all vehicles. Local activists accused deputies of profiling, while Smith pointed out that speeding, failure to maintain a lane, and running red lights most often prompt traffic stops — you know, actual law enforcement.

Former Virginia Delegate Nick Freitas summed up the absurdity in a public statement.

“Oh, look, the Virginia AG is going after a cop for doing actual cop things.”

Sheriff Smith declined to comment, citing his retention of counsel, but previously told the Piedmont Journal-Recorder that he will “continue to assist ICE with their operations” after discussing the new law with state legislators.

Even some Democrats expressed discomfort. State Senator Creigh Deeds, the Democrats’ 2009 gubernatorial nominee whose district neighbors Greene County, said he was “disappointed” by 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.”

Former Delegate Kim Taylor, who received a politically motivated death threat during the 2025 election, didn’t hold back when pointing out Jones’ hypocrisy. She referenced graphic text messages Jones sent to another former lawmaker imagining the murder of former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert — the “two bullets” scandal that nearly torpedoed Jones’ campaign.

“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.”

But Jones wasn’t done obstructing Trump’s enforcement agenda. Alongside his investigation into Sheriff Smith, Jones joined a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s demand for bulk transfer of commercial-driver records covering roughly 17 million drivers.

The records are critical to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s crackdown on drivers who cannot meet English-language requirements or illegal immigrant truckers accused of causing deadly wrecks on American highways.

Jones celebrated when U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga temporarily blocked the bulk transfer of the records, calling it an “important win for protecting the privacy of millions of commercial drivers.” Protecting privacy — or protecting illegal immigrant truckers who can’t speak English and shouldn’t be behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler?

An ICE spokesperson confirmed the Ruckersville operation and defended the partnership with local law enforcement.

“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.”

“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, told Fox News Digital that the lawsuit is “just another way that they try to stick their thumb in the administration’s eye.”

“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.”

Wyatt Matters

This isn’t complicated. A rural sheriff works with federal agents to arrest dangerous gang members and get unqualified drivers off the roads, and a Democrat attorney general investigates him for it. Meanwhile, that same AG fights to keep records hidden that could expose illegal immigrant truckers who can’t even speak English driving 18-wheelers on highways where your family travels. Virginia families deserve leaders who put their safety first, not the feelings of illegal immigrants and the politicians who enable them.