GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 972 which relates to immigration status disclosure during trials.

Deportation is a serious outcome for noncitizens convicted of crimes, however, the Court must absolutely have the right to inquire as to the immigration status of a defendant, as it is relevant information to the way the justice system should handle his or her case, including whether or not the defendant is a flight risk.

Courts must be able to inquire if an individual is in the country illegally as it can affect absconding potential and inform legal proceedings.

Establishes a precedent lacking a clear endpoint. In other contexts, a future General Assembly could use this proposal as the basis to prohibit inquiries into mental state to prevent civil commitments or restrict questions about military status to avoid dishonorable discharges. Such limitations on the information available to courts risk impeding their ability to adjudicate cases fairly and accurately, potentially resulting in severe consequences for those outside the courtroom.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.