RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – President Donald Trump’s hardline position on immigration is casting a long shadow over Virginia’s race for governor, with candidates in both parties adjusting their focus to more closely match or oppose the president.
The contest is potential preview of the 2018 midterms, and the growing influence of immigrant voters – particularly in voter rich Northern Virginia – mirror similar changes in other parts of the country that will hold elections next year.
Though immigration law is largely a federal matter, governors can still have an impact on Virginia’s sizeable immigrant population both in tone and policy.
Immigrant advocates said Trump’s election and his early actions to increase immigration arrests have terrified many Virginia families. Jennifer, a 20-year-old undocumented immigrant from Honduras who lives in Northern Virginia, said having a governor who was willing to stand up to Trump would give her hope, while a governor who sided with Trump would increase her fears.
“My whole family is scared,” she said. The Associated Press is not using her full name because she said she and her family members feared being identified by the government for deportation.