Nicholas Freitas, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, said that Democratic leaders blocked his deportation bill for violent offenders and prioritized restoring voting rights to people convicted of serious crimes. The statement was made on X.
“I had a bill this year in the general assembly that would have required deportation of illegals for violent crimes upon completion of their sentence,” said Nicholas J Freitas, Virginia State Representative for 62nd District. “Speaker Don Scott and Democrats didn’t even allow the bill to be heard. They were too busy trying to give automatic restoration of voting rights back to people convicted of things like rape and child porn. No I’m not kidding.”
Recent debates in the Virginia General Assembly have focused on the deportation of undocumented immigrants and the restoration of voting rights for felons, as reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Lawmakers are divided on proposals for tighter cooperation with federal immigration authorities and whether to broaden civil rights for those with felony convictions. This reflects a broader national divide on immigration and criminal justice reform.
According to the Virginia State Police, fewer than 1,500 undocumented immigrants were convicted of violent crimes in Virginia between 2018 and 2023. While they make up a small share of violent crime cases, these figures continue to drive policy discussions in the General Assembly.
A report by the Sentencing Project notes that Virginia is among a minority of states requiring gubernatorial action for restoring voting rights to felons. In contrast, over 20 states provide automatic restoration upon release, creating significant differences in civil rights access for returning citizens.
Freitas is a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates, former U.S. Army Green Beret, and advocate for strict immigration enforcement and public safety-oriented criminal justice reforms, as outlined by Ballotpedia.
