CWS Virginia Applauds Passage of Key Legislation Ensuring Safeguards for All Virginians, Including Refugees and Immigrants
Harrisonburg, VA—Church World Service Virginia applauds the passage of key legislation in the Virginia General Assembly that will safeguard the well-being and future of all who call the Commonwealth home, including resettled refugees, asylees, and other immigrant populations. The Virginia House and Senate recently passed a number of bills that will end unlawful federal operations by ICE in the Commonwealth, protect sensitive locations, and support an array of programming designed to supplement English language training, prohibit discrimination in schools, and maintain voting rights. The organization celebrates the bipartisan support of these bills which signifies a welcome step forward in prioritizing the unity of communities across Virginia.
In response to the passage, Susannah Lepley, Director of CWS Harrisonburg issued the following statement:
“In a time of widespread division in American communities, it comes as no small relief to see Virginia’s elected officials unified in the effort to protect those that call the Commonwealth home. All Virginians care about our communities, especially our refugee and asylee neighbors. We are coworkers, taxpayers, parents to young students, parishioners, and volunteers. For this generation and the ones to follow, we hope our biggest worries are about if our children will choose Virginia Tech over UVA, not whether they will be safe on our streets or go to sleep with empty stomachs.
We thank the bills’ sponsors and supporters, we look forward to Governor Spanburger signing the legislation into law, and we stand proud with our neighbors as an example to the nation of what can be done when we all work together to embrace hope.”
The passed legislation includes:
HB1441 / SB783: Restricting 287(g) Agreements (limiting state and local law enforcement collaboration with federal agencies like ICE)
HB1482 / HB1492 / SB352: Restrictions on Law Enforcement Facial Coverings
HB1161: Data Privacy
HB836: Prohibiting Discrimination based on Immigration Status in Public Schools
HB967: Voting Rights Act of Virginia
The harsh reality of life for newcomers under new policies implemented over the past year has produced widespread fear, reduced and eliminated access to food, disrupted access to supportive services, and elevated significant obstacles to achieving educational dreams.
Virginians need leaders like Governor Spanburger to stand tall for our neighbors and protect the dignity and opportunity for all who call our communities home. CWS Virginia and its partners at the Refugee Advocacy Lab call on the Governor to continue the Commonwealth’s legacy of welcoming refugees and immigrants by signing these bills into law and bridging funding gaps for food assistance programs, such as SNAP, so no Virginian families face the challenges of hunger.
CWS Virginia operates in two Virginia offices located in Harrisonburg and Winchester who have resettled refugees from across the globe and take pride in the immense contributions they have brought to Virginia’s economy and our neighborhoods. Within fiscal year 2025 alone, Virginia resettled roughly 1,165 refugees ranging from 24 nations with a total refugee population of over 86,800 and total immigrant population of 1.15 million. CWS is the Virginia state partner of the Refugee Advocacy Lab, a national partnership supporting inclusive policies in ten states and nationally.
For more information, or to speak with Lepley, contact media@cwsglobal.org.