Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones has come under criticism for initiating a civil rights investigation into Greene County Sheriff Steve Smith’s traffic-stop practices related to his cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The probe, announced by Jones, focuses on allegations that the Greene County Sheriff’s Office may be conducting traffic stops in violation of state law and the Constitution. Sheriff Smith has declined to comment to Fox News Digital, citing his retention of counsel, but previously told the Piedmont Journal-Recorder that he intends to continue assisting ICE with their operations.

Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore criticized Jones and the state’s Democratic leadership, saying the disputes reflect a broader unwillingness to cooperate with President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda. Kilgore stated, "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."

Kilgore also praised Sheriff Smith for working with ICE, saying, "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."

Local activists have accused deputies of profiling in their traffic stops, while Sheriff Smith has said that speeding, failure to maintain a lane, and running red lights are the most common reasons for stops.

Creigh Deeds, a Democrat from Charlottesville and the party’s 2009 gubernatorial nominee whose district neighbors Greene County, expressed disappointment over the situation.

The controversy also involves a legal challenge concerning federal access to commercial driver records, further complicating the enforcement landscape in Virginia.

This dispute highlights ongoing tensions in Virginia politics regarding immigration enforcement and cooperation with federal authorities.

Sources