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Senate committee tables juvenile‑immigration reporting bill after hours of testimony; DJJ and prosecutors split with civil‑rights groups
Summary
After nearly two hours of testimony and vigorous debate, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee voted 9–6 to pass by indefinitely a bill that would add juvenile‑system reporting procedures for juveniles adjudicated of violent felonies and clarify local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The Senate Courts of Justice Committee voted 9–6 to pass by indefinitely (PBI) a bill (referred to in committee as SB 1268) that would have added statutory procedures for reporting immigration status and for local agreements concerning non‑citizens adjudicated of violent juvenile felonies.
Sponsor Senator Doreen Durant framed the measure as a technical fix that would mirror existing adult reporting pathways in the juvenile system so that officials could identify and coordinate with federal immigration authorities when appropriate for public safety. James Tuohy, speaking for the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), told the committee the bill largely mirrors adult provisions and sought to add specificity to a currently vague statutory standard about when to report possible immigration status.
Opponents — including Sophia Gregg, senior immigrant rights attorney at the ACLU of Virginia;…
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