The government of Virginia has declined to use nearly $700,000 in federal funds that was meant to enforce immigration laws, and instead have chosen to prioritize anti-gun initiatives, as The Daily Caller reports.
The Virginia Department of Justice Services (DJS) declined $665,673 in funding from the Department of Justice, which was meant to enforce 8 U.S.C. 1373 and 1644, which required the DJS to “share pertinent information with federal immigration authorities.”
According to the Caller, the funds had been allocated under the “Project Safe Neighborhoods” (PSN) program that was started in 2001, which aimed to “target violent crime at the local level.” But following a mass shooting at Virginia Beach in May, Governor Ralph Northam (D-Va.) chose to direct the focus of the PSN initiative away from illegal aliens who commit crimes, and instead turned to proposals to ban firearms.
Despite numerous proposals for anti-gun legislation, Governor Northam has since admitted that none of them would have prevented the Virginia Beach shooting.