Two Northern Virginia prosecutors, Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano and Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church, joined a national coalition Jan. 28 vowing to oversight of federal agents who violate state laws. Called the Project for the Fight Against Federal Overreach (F.A.F.O.), launched following two fatal shootings by federal immigration agents in Minnesota. At stake , among other things, is whether the federal government can take over a neighborhood and investigate its own shootings, or if local authorities have a "concurrent jurisdiction" that the federal government must respect.

The coalition aims to hold federal officials accountable when they exceed their lawful authority, particularly in jurisdictions experiencing "surges" of federal immigration and law enforcement activity. Founding members include nine prosecutors from Virginia, Texas, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Minnesota, all locally elected. They contend that their duty to state constitutions overrides federal claims of "absolute immunity" when state crimes, such as assault or homicide, are committed.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a founding member and the coalition's primary national spokesperson, dismissed recent claims of federal immunity as "absolute nonsense" during the virtual launch.[2] “Despite the misinformation you have heard from the mouth of the vice president, we do have the ability to bring state criminal charges against federal officers and to prosecute those cases to conclusion,” Krasner said. “This is a gathering of people who take democracy seriously and are willing to do what their oath requires to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the United States and also their moral oath.”

Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said that federal agents are not shielded from local authority. 

“The chaos you’re seeing on the streets — the beatings, the abductions, the killings of everyday Americans just like you and me — these are the natural consequences of a federal government that thinks they’re above the law and the rest of us are below it,” Descano said. “If you’re not on their team, [they believe] you have no rights and your life does not matter.” 

On Jan. 8, 2026, following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, Vance said in a White House press briefing,”The precedent here is very simple; you have a federal law enforcement official engaging in federal law enforcement action. That's a federal issue. That guy's protected by absolute immunity.”

Referencing the coalition’s acronym, FAFO, Descano added: “Unfortunately for those guys, we’re in the ‘find out’ business around here.”

In addition to Descano in Northern Virginia is Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re local police, county sheriff, state patrol, FBI, ATF,” Dehghani-Tafti said. “You serve the public, you respect constitutional rights, and you follow the law. And when you don't, we will hold you accountable.” .

The coalition also includes two other Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorneys, Stephanie Morales of Portsmouth and Ramin Fatehi of Norfolk. 

Fatehi noted that this geographic spread creates a pincer effect, ensuring that federal agents face local oversight whether they are in the D.C. suburbs or the coastal south. “Between Steve and Parisa in the North, and Stephanie and me in the South, there is nowhere federal agents can go in this Commonwealth to escape the reach of the law," Fatehi said. "We have effectively ensured that from the D.C. line to the Atlantic Ocean, the Constitution is not a suggestion, it is the mandate. If you are operating in the Commonwealth, you are in our backyard, and someone is watching.”

The independence of these offices is anchored in the law. In Virginia, the four prosecutors are protected as constitutional officers under Article VII, Section 4 of the state constitution. This status ensures their independence.

Similar constitutional protections exist for other members of the coalition, including Texas District Attorneys Jose Garza of Travis County and John Creuzot of Dallas County, and Pima County Attorney Laura Conover of Arizona. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty of Minnesota, while holding a statutory office, maintains similar autonomous prosecutorial discretion under state law.

Krasner, of Philadelphia, described this combination of shared ideology, constitutional independence, and direct accountability to local voters. “We find ourselves in a moment when one of the most potent tools ... to try to preserve democracy in the United States is state prosecutors,” he said.

Participants plan to convene next in February to coordinate accountability efforts across their respective jurisdictions, according to the Official Press Release issued by the Office of the District Attorney, City of Philadelphia on Jan. 28.[9]

Legislative and Executive Backup in Virginia

Gov. Abigail Spanberger used her executive power to sign Executive Order 10 on Jan. 17, 2026, her first day in office, fulfilling a cam. This order officially rescinded former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 47 (2025). Spanberger fulfilled a campaign promise to remove the mandate requiring state and local law enforcement to assist in federal civil immigration enforcement. 

Providing legislative backup, state Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim of Fairfax is guiding three bills through the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice. 

As of Jan. 29: SB 351: Prohibits civil arrests at courthouses and requires a judicial warrant for federal agents to enter. SB 352: Prohibits federal and state agents from wearing face coverings or masks during enforcement to ensure they can be identified for accountability. SB 783: Restricts which state officers can perform the functions of a federal immigration officer.

Salim said his bills are designed to keep “the chaos, lawlessness, and violence that we have seen perpetrated against Minnesotans from coming to Virginia.” 

He added: “The formation of this coalition sends a clear message: Virginia is not a 'no-man’s land' where federal agents can ignore the law.”

Salim’s three bills (SB 351, SB 352, SB 783) are currently referred to the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice. 

Salim has until Tuesday, Feb. 17, "Crossover" deadline, to get these through the full Senate.

Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington) is the chief patron of HB 1440, which would make it a Class 1 misdemeanor for federal agents to conduct "civil immigration arrests" in protected areas like schools, hospitals and courthouses. Agents could enter these areas only with a judicial warrant, a subpoena, or in exigent circumstances.

HB 1440 is moving through the House. The bill was assigned to House Public Safety Subcommittee #3 on Jan. 28. If it passes the subcommittee, it must then clear the full House Public Safety Committee before moving to the House floor. Like the Senate bills, this must pass the full House of Delegates by crossover, Tuesday, Feb. 17