Poll Finds Va. Focused On Illegal Immigrants
Issue Could Sway State, Local Races
By Anita Kumar and Jon Cohen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, October 24, 2007; Page A01
After years of simmering in the background, illegal immigration has quickly emerged as one of the key issues in Virginia's Nov. 6 election, particularly in Northern Virginia, where voters say they are seeking candidates who will address it, according to a new Washington Post poll.
Three-quarters of likely voters in Virginia said immigration is important to their votes in the election for state and local offices, while just a year ago, immigration ranked seventh of 10 listed issues in a Post poll before the U.S. Senate race. Since then, the percentage of Virginia voters calling immigration "extremely" or "very" important to their vote has jumped 15 points.
"That's heartening," said Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large), chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, who spearheaded efforts to crack down on illegal immigrants. "For many people, this has really become a serious threat to their quality of life."
There is a widespread sense that illegal immigration is a local problem, particularly after Congress's failure to approve an immigration overhaul this summer. That has vaulted the issue into prominence.
It has also gained attention because of what people in both parties say is a predominantly Republican tactic to turn attention away from President Bush's sagging approval ratings, an unpopular war and the state's costly new abusive-driver fees.
"It's a conscious political strategy by Virginia Republicans," said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, an immigrant advocacy group in Washington. "What happens in Virginia in the legislative races will be a pretty good test of whether this works or not."
Republicans across the state -- and a few Democrats in conservative districts -- have seized the issue, unveiling countless proposals to curb illegal immigration and talking it up on the campaign trail.
In the past two statewide elections, the unsuccessful Republican candidates for U.S. Senate and governor tried to make immigration an issue, but it did not resonate as deeply with voters as such problems as traffic congestion. Transportation and the state's economy are still the biggest issues facing Virginia today, according to the Post poll, but immigration has made a surge in voter interest this fall. Among likely voters, 61 percent called illegal immigration a problem where they live.
A majority of likely voters who said immigration is extremely important would like to see Republicans maintain control of the General Assembly, and those who call the issue the state's top problem generally prefer the GOP approach. But overall, Virginians give Democrats a narrow edge on handling immigration, and more voters would like to see the Democrats take over the state legislature.
"I think Democrats would have a better solution," said Barbara Humphreys, 57, of Buena Vista, who ranks immigration as a top issue, along with the economy and the war in Iraq.
Political analysts say Democrats could make gains in the Republican-led legislature Nov. 6, when all 140 House and Senate seats are up for grabs. Democrats could take control of the Senate for the first time since 1999 and pick up a half-dozen or so seats in the House of Delegates, analysts say.
A majority of Virginians, 53 percent, said they want state and local governments to do "a lot" to deal with illegal immigration; an additional third said they want "some" action.
Although state and local governments can do little to resolve immigration concerns, in part because federal and state laws provide many protections for illegal immigrants, six in 10 likely Virginia voters said they would be more inclined to support an office seeker who advocated aggressive state and local action against illegal immigrants.
"I think we need to strengthen our borders," said Lori Robinson, 45, of Norfolk, who plans to vote for Republicans next month, partly because she thinks they would be stronger on immigration. "I'm looking for someone to stand up and say, 'This is what this country needs.' You want to help everyone, but you can't."
"Clearly there's a lot of frustration with the broken immigration system," said Tim Freilich, legal director for the Virginia Justice Center for Farm and Immigrant Workers. "What we're seeing are state and local elected officials trying to do something. What we need now is comprehensive immigration reform. We don't need mean-spirited, shortsighted results."
In recent months, Prince William and Loudoun counties have voted to curtail government services to illegal immigrants, and Herndon voted to close a controversial day-laborer center frequented by many illegal immigrants. Last week, the Prince William board also unanimously passed a proposal that will allow police to check the immigration status of anyone who breaks the law. Fairfax officials are trying to determine which county services can be denied to illegal immigrants, although they haven't decided to do that.
Republicans dispute the notion that they are exploiting the immigration issue to gain political advantage, saying they are responding to complaints from voters. "If you're hyping a nonissue, you wouldn't get these results," Stewart said.
Gerald E. Connolly (D), who is running for reelection as chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, said many politicians are making false claims about what they can do.
"Some politicians have declared open season on a particular group of immigrants who are here that goes way beyond unpalatable. It puts people at risk. I can tell you I've spoken to a lot of immigrant communities. This has made them very anxious. We have a sad history in Virginia that we don't want to repeat," Connolly said.
Nearly seven in 10 Virginians polled said the federal government has not done enough to deal with the issue. But many also see illegal immigration as a state and local issue -- and not one that the federal government alone should address.
About one in eight Virginians call immigration the most or second-most important problem in the state. Fifty-one percent of those surveyed said illegal immigration is a problem where they live, including 20 percent who said it is a "very serious problem."
Steve Fowler, 57, a consultant who lives in Manassas, describes immigration and transportation as his top issues after abortion. "To me, the issue is . . . whether they broke the law to come here," he said.
But Bill Maxwell, 70, a retiree who has lived in Alexandria for four decades, said immigration is not a top priority. "I think Republicans are making a big deal out of it," said Maxwell, who has voted for both parties in the past but plans to vote Democratic in November.
On most questions about immigration, there are wide differences by party and region.
Although 58 percent of Republicans and 55 percent of independents want much more local action on illegal immigration, fewer Democrats, 43 percent, do. And almost three-quarters of Republicans are more likely to support a candidate who wants strong action against illegal immigrants, nearly double the percentage among Democrats.
"Republicans would do a better job," said Pat Holub, 42, who is in the Navy and lives in Springfield. "Liberals have a tendency to want to do everything for everybody."
Nearly a third of likely voters who live north of the Rappahannock River said immigration was one of the top two issues in the state, and 77 percent said illegal immigration was a problem in their communities; 37 percent called it a very serious problem.
Those numbers surged higher in Prince William, where half of all residents called immigration the most or second-most important issue facing the state and a majority classified illegal immigration as a very serious local problem.
Roy Beck, executive director of NumbersUSA, a group that advocates limits on immigration and penalties for illegal immigrants, called the poll results surprising because immigration has not been an issue taken on by a statewide leader in Virginia as it has in some states.
Beck attributed some of the interest to increased attention to immigration by the media and to the enormous alterations in the state's landscape.
"People across Virginia, especially in Northern Virginia, they are witnessing a rapid change," he said.
The poll was conducted by telephone Oct. 4 through 8 among a random sample of 1,144 Virginia adults, including additional interviews with randomly selected residents of Loudoun and Prince William counties. The results from the full poll have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points; it is larger among subgroups.
Polling analyst Jennifer Agiesta and staff writer Bill Turque contributed to this report.
mn
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
As Hundreds Testify, Pr. William's Vote on Immigrant Plan Goes Late (Sarah)
As Hundreds Testify, Pr. William's Vote on Immigrant Plan Goes Late
By Nick Miroff and Kristen Mack
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, October 17, 2007; A01
A vote to enact Prince William County's nationally watched plan to crack down on illegal immigrants was delayed into the night yesterday after a huge public turnout produced a marathon session of emotional public testimony.
More than 1,200 people packed the county government complex in Woodbridge and the streets outside yesterday afternoon, creating a charged -- and at times tense -- atmosphere. As the Board of County Supervisors meeting began, supporters and opponents of the measures scuffled in the street before police pulled the two sides apart, threatening to make arrests.
The confrontation underscored the intense debate playing out in communities across the country, where an increasing number of jurisdictions have been taking steps to clamp down on illegal immigrants after Congress failed to pass immigration overhaul measures.
"This is America!" activists yelled from the anti-illegal immigrant group Help Save Manassas as they were restrained by police.
Opposite them, several hundred residents, mostly Hispanic, responded with a deafening chant of "¿S¿, se puede!" ("Yes, we can!").
The tension in Woodbridge came as officials in Fairfax County and Richmond also turned their attention to the issue yesterday. Fairfax's county executive said he would begin studying which services might be restricted to illegal immigrants. In Richmond, officials rejected a proposal to build a 1,000-bed detention center where illegal immigrants could be temporarily held for deportation. Instead, the Virginia Crime Commission's immigration task force approved a proposal to give more money to local governments to house arrested illegal immigrants and to expand or build jails.
But the real drama was in Prince William, and it wasn't confined to the street. About 375 people signed up to address the supervisors during the public comment period; early today, dozens of people were still waiting to speak. When the board's chairman, Corey A. Stewart (R), who has made illegal immigration the signature issue of his reelection campaign, moved at the outset to reduce the time allotted for each speaker from three minutes to one, Supervisor Maureen S. Caddigan (R-Dumfries) sought to block the measure.
Caddigan and other board members have criticized Stewart for using $30,000 in public money to send postcards to every Prince William household notifying residents of the board's vote. Stewart should not invite residents to the meeting and then restrict their right to speak, Caddigan argued.
The motion was put to a vote, and five of the board's other seven members, including three Republicans, agreed with Caddigan.
Nine hours later, the supervisors were still hearing public testimony and not begun a discussion of the proposal to fully implement the anti-illegal immigrant policies. At one point late into the session, Supervisor Hilda M. Barg (D-Woodbridge) said Stewart had left the board chambers to conduct television interviews and asked to delay proceedings until he returned.
The measures considered yesterday would authorize police to conduct immigration checks on anyone accused of breaking a law or local ordinance if an officer suspects that person is an illegal immigrant.
The measures also would deny certain county services to illegal immigrants.
But with a projected 14 percent decline in property values, several supervisors have expressed concern about funding the measures, opting two weeks ago to delay the vote until yesterday.
With the Nov. 6 election approaching and all of the supervisors up for reelection, the county's illegal-immigration policies have become a dominant campaign issue. Stewart has pushed hard for the new measures to be approved before Election Day, angering fellow board members.
But for hours yesterday afternoon and deep into the night, the podium belonged to residents, highlighting how visceral the issue has become.
Children of immigrants, standing on stools, asked board members not to hurt their parents.
Others pointed out that illegal immigrants are breaking the law. "Where do you get off demanding services, rights and mandatory citizenship?" said Manassas resident Robert Stephens, addressing the crowd of Hispanic residents. "Who invited you? You cry for your rights? You have none."
County officials said they knew that the crowd would be large but that they hadn't anticipated more than 1,000 people. Office doors, which normally remain open, were locked and required codes to get in. People spilled out of the board's chambers and the building's atrium, which together hold several hundred people.
One woman was dressed like the Statue of Liberty. Another said she had time to go home and prepare dinner before coming back to address the board.
A roughly equal number of opponents and supporters of the policies signed up to speak, but not everyone chose to address the supervisors directly. About 1,000 opponents of the measures rallied outside, many in green T-shirts asking the board to rescind the resolution, and a much smaller group wearing the red stickers of Help Save Manassas rallied nearby.
Even more people were in attendance yesterday than at the board's July 10 meeting, when the supervisors unanimously approved the plans to deny some public services to illegal immigrants and increase immigration enforcement by police. Yesterday's vote would be more specific, naming the county services that would be denied and allocating the money to carry out the policy. The July vote prompted similar proposals in Loudoun and Culpeper counties and elsewhere in the region.
But the Prince William measures would be the most extensive. Police officials emphasize that they would not be conducting immigration sweeps or setting up checkpoints, as some have feared, and that it would take months to put the measures into practice. More than 500 county police officers would need to be trained in the nuances of federal immigration law. Yesterday's vote was also scheduled to address the creation of a seven-officer Criminal Alien Unit that would work directly with federal immigration agents.
The county's plan to deny services has evolved since it was first proposed. Services such as access to schools and emergency medical care are federally protected, and illegal immigrants are already ineligible for benefits such as Medicare and food stamps.
Instead, Prince William has pinpointed a more limited set of services and benefits, including substance abuse counseling, homeless assistance and in-home care and other county programs for the elderly. County officials said they are not sure how many illegal immigrants are taking advantage of these programs or how much money would be saved by curbing them.
Experts say the county policies are untested in court. A group of 22 plaintiffs has filed a lawsuit against the county and its top officials seeking to block the measures, claiming that they violate equal protection laws and that immigration enforcement is a federal concern.
In Richmond yesterday, state officials rejected the controversial proposal to build the detention center, where illegal immigrants arrested for certain crimes could be held until federal officials deport them.
"I don't think there is support in the General Assembly or with the public for building a stand-alone facility," said state Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle (R-Virginia Beach), chairman of the Crime Commission.
The detention center would have been the country's first state-run facility built to hold only illegal immigrants accused of crimes. Currently, illegal immigrants who are arrested are held in local jails, federal facilities and private prisons. Under the new proposal, localities would be allowed to keep all of the money the federal government sends them to house federal inmates, including illegal immigrants, instead of giving a share to the state. Sheriffs also would start to receive 50 percent, instead of 25 percent, of the cost of expanding or building jails.
The 22-member task force killed the detention proposal during a more than four-hour meeting yesterday. It approved 18 other proposals that will be considered by the full Crime Commission next month.
Staff writer Anita Kumar contributed to this report from Richmond.
View all comments that have been posted about this article.
By Nick Miroff and Kristen Mack
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, October 17, 2007; A01
A vote to enact Prince William County's nationally watched plan to crack down on illegal immigrants was delayed into the night yesterday after a huge public turnout produced a marathon session of emotional public testimony.
More than 1,200 people packed the county government complex in Woodbridge and the streets outside yesterday afternoon, creating a charged -- and at times tense -- atmosphere. As the Board of County Supervisors meeting began, supporters and opponents of the measures scuffled in the street before police pulled the two sides apart, threatening to make arrests.
The confrontation underscored the intense debate playing out in communities across the country, where an increasing number of jurisdictions have been taking steps to clamp down on illegal immigrants after Congress failed to pass immigration overhaul measures.
"This is America!" activists yelled from the anti-illegal immigrant group Help Save Manassas as they were restrained by police.
Opposite them, several hundred residents, mostly Hispanic, responded with a deafening chant of "¿S¿, se puede!" ("Yes, we can!").
The tension in Woodbridge came as officials in Fairfax County and Richmond also turned their attention to the issue yesterday. Fairfax's county executive said he would begin studying which services might be restricted to illegal immigrants. In Richmond, officials rejected a proposal to build a 1,000-bed detention center where illegal immigrants could be temporarily held for deportation. Instead, the Virginia Crime Commission's immigration task force approved a proposal to give more money to local governments to house arrested illegal immigrants and to expand or build jails.
But the real drama was in Prince William, and it wasn't confined to the street. About 375 people signed up to address the supervisors during the public comment period; early today, dozens of people were still waiting to speak. When the board's chairman, Corey A. Stewart (R), who has made illegal immigration the signature issue of his reelection campaign, moved at the outset to reduce the time allotted for each speaker from three minutes to one, Supervisor Maureen S. Caddigan (R-Dumfries) sought to block the measure.
Caddigan and other board members have criticized Stewart for using $30,000 in public money to send postcards to every Prince William household notifying residents of the board's vote. Stewart should not invite residents to the meeting and then restrict their right to speak, Caddigan argued.
The motion was put to a vote, and five of the board's other seven members, including three Republicans, agreed with Caddigan.
Nine hours later, the supervisors were still hearing public testimony and not begun a discussion of the proposal to fully implement the anti-illegal immigrant policies. At one point late into the session, Supervisor Hilda M. Barg (D-Woodbridge) said Stewart had left the board chambers to conduct television interviews and asked to delay proceedings until he returned.
The measures considered yesterday would authorize police to conduct immigration checks on anyone accused of breaking a law or local ordinance if an officer suspects that person is an illegal immigrant.
The measures also would deny certain county services to illegal immigrants.
But with a projected 14 percent decline in property values, several supervisors have expressed concern about funding the measures, opting two weeks ago to delay the vote until yesterday.
With the Nov. 6 election approaching and all of the supervisors up for reelection, the county's illegal-immigration policies have become a dominant campaign issue. Stewart has pushed hard for the new measures to be approved before Election Day, angering fellow board members.
But for hours yesterday afternoon and deep into the night, the podium belonged to residents, highlighting how visceral the issue has become.
Children of immigrants, standing on stools, asked board members not to hurt their parents.
Others pointed out that illegal immigrants are breaking the law. "Where do you get off demanding services, rights and mandatory citizenship?" said Manassas resident Robert Stephens, addressing the crowd of Hispanic residents. "Who invited you? You cry for your rights? You have none."
County officials said they knew that the crowd would be large but that they hadn't anticipated more than 1,000 people. Office doors, which normally remain open, were locked and required codes to get in. People spilled out of the board's chambers and the building's atrium, which together hold several hundred people.
One woman was dressed like the Statue of Liberty. Another said she had time to go home and prepare dinner before coming back to address the board.
A roughly equal number of opponents and supporters of the policies signed up to speak, but not everyone chose to address the supervisors directly. About 1,000 opponents of the measures rallied outside, many in green T-shirts asking the board to rescind the resolution, and a much smaller group wearing the red stickers of Help Save Manassas rallied nearby.
Even more people were in attendance yesterday than at the board's July 10 meeting, when the supervisors unanimously approved the plans to deny some public services to illegal immigrants and increase immigration enforcement by police. Yesterday's vote would be more specific, naming the county services that would be denied and allocating the money to carry out the policy. The July vote prompted similar proposals in Loudoun and Culpeper counties and elsewhere in the region.
But the Prince William measures would be the most extensive. Police officials emphasize that they would not be conducting immigration sweeps or setting up checkpoints, as some have feared, and that it would take months to put the measures into practice. More than 500 county police officers would need to be trained in the nuances of federal immigration law. Yesterday's vote was also scheduled to address the creation of a seven-officer Criminal Alien Unit that would work directly with federal immigration agents.
The county's plan to deny services has evolved since it was first proposed. Services such as access to schools and emergency medical care are federally protected, and illegal immigrants are already ineligible for benefits such as Medicare and food stamps.
Instead, Prince William has pinpointed a more limited set of services and benefits, including substance abuse counseling, homeless assistance and in-home care and other county programs for the elderly. County officials said they are not sure how many illegal immigrants are taking advantage of these programs or how much money would be saved by curbing them.
Experts say the county policies are untested in court. A group of 22 plaintiffs has filed a lawsuit against the county and its top officials seeking to block the measures, claiming that they violate equal protection laws and that immigration enforcement is a federal concern.
In Richmond yesterday, state officials rejected the controversial proposal to build the detention center, where illegal immigrants arrested for certain crimes could be held until federal officials deport them.
"I don't think there is support in the General Assembly or with the public for building a stand-alone facility," said state Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle (R-Virginia Beach), chairman of the Crime Commission.
The detention center would have been the country's first state-run facility built to hold only illegal immigrants accused of crimes. Currently, illegal immigrants who are arrested are held in local jails, federal facilities and private prisons. Under the new proposal, localities would be allowed to keep all of the money the federal government sends them to house federal inmates, including illegal immigrants, instead of giving a share to the state. Sheriffs also would start to receive 50 percent, instead of 25 percent, of the cost of expanding or building jails.
The 22-member task force killed the detention proposal during a more than four-hour meeting yesterday. It approved 18 other proposals that will be considered by the full Crime Commission next month.
Staff writer Anita Kumar contributed to this report from Richmond.
View all comments that have been posted about this article.
New Fear Leads Both Legal, Illegal Latinos To Leave Pr. William (Sarah)
New Fear Leads Both Legal, Illegal Latinos To Leave Pr. William
Random Sweeps Are a Worry
By N.C. Aizenman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 22, 2007; A01
Supporters of the anti-illegal immigration measure adopted in Prince William County last week have argued that its most important purpose is to send a powerful signal to the county's mostly Latino illegal immigrants that they are no longer welcome.
It appears the message has already been received: Terrified that new policies will lead to mass deportations, illegal immigrants and the many legal immigrant relatives and friends who live with them have been moving out of Prince William ever since July, when county supervisors first approved the plan's outline.
The size of the migration is difficult to measure, particularly during a year when slumping housing prices and skyrocketing foreclosures have led many residents to move for purely economic reasons.
Still, signs of the growing climate of fear are everywhere.
At the Freetown Market, a convenience store in a heavily Latino section of Woodbridge that offers U-Haul trucks for hire, one-way rentals have jumped from between 10 and 20 a month just before July to about 40 a month today.
In the same strip mall, at a money-transfer store where the customer line to pay utility bills once snaked out the door, business has slowed so dramatically the past three months that one clerk has been let go and the remaining one spends most of her time on the computer, e-mailing gloomy updates to relatives back home in Guatemala.
A few doors down, staff workers at the IMA English language academy will soon be taking the American flag decorations off the walls and moving to a smaller space, because the number of students has plummeted from 350 to about 60 since July.
"There is a mass panic," said the academy's owner, Roberto Catacora. "Those who haven't already moved away don't dare step outside their houses."
Although one of the new measures directs county police to check the immigration status of only criminal suspects, many immigrants think that all Latinos will be subject to random sweeps, Catacora added.
The effect on his once-bustling academy was palpable on a recent weeknight, when all but one of the six classrooms were deserted.
Among the absent students was Jose Luis Pubeac, 42, a day laborer who sneaked into the country 18 months ago. He was busy preparing for his flight back to El Salvador on Saturday.
"I was already thinking of going home, because I was having such a hard time finding work," said Pubeac, speaking on his cellphone as he raced around picking up presents for his five children back home. "But this law convinced me it was time. [They] hate us so much here."
Most departing immigrants, however, appear to be moving closer afield, choosing states such as North Carolina or neighboring counties such as Prince George's or Arlington that they perceive as less hostile.
In August, Walter Ramirez settled on Alexandria.
A 29-year-old construction worker, Ramirez was not personally at risk from Prince William's crackdown because he has a temporary permit granted to many Salvadorans when an earthquake devastated their country in 2001.
But his roommates were a different story. And after the July resolution was adopted, they were overcome with stifling paranoia.
"I used to walk over to the supermarket every day to pick up food or a phone card or just to hang out," recalled one roommate, a 22-year-old from Honduras who sneaked into the United States three years ago. "But suddenly it seemed like there were so many police officers there, so I limited myself to once a week. It was so stressful, because you feel totally locked up, like you're a prisoner in your own home," he added, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Ramirez nodded his head sympathetically. The two were sitting on a large tan couch that took up almost the entire living room of their new home, a walled-off section of a ramshackle colonial house on a leafy cul-de-sac.
The cramped quarters are a step down from the well-kept apartment they rented in Woodbridge, where each man paid $275 a month for his own room and had access to the nicely landscaped complex's swimming pool. In Alexandria, they pay $400 each for shared rooms, make do with a hot plate in place of a stove and are no longer walking distance from friends and shops.
"It's a more isolated life here, and that's a sacrifice. But I had no choice," Ramirez said. "My buddies are like my family. I can't live in a place where they are going to be persecuted."
Several real estate agents who serve Latino immigrants predicted that more people will reach the same conclusion as Ramirez now that the Prince William Board of County Supervisors has given final approval to the anti-illegal immigration measure.
"This is not something that only affects the undocumented," agent Rosie Vilchez said. "Because in the same family, it's so common to have some people who are citizens, some people who are residents and some who are undocumented. And those with papers are going to do whatever is necessary to protect those without."
Within hours of the board's vote, Salvadoran-born Aracely Diaz instructed her real estate agent to put her townhouse on the market.
Diaz, a supermarket checkout clerk, was one of nearly 400 people who waited for hours to comment on the bill during the marathon pre-vote session that stretched into Wednesday's wee hours.
"Even after they passed that July resolution, I had hope that [the supervisors] would change their minds," said Diaz, 37, who has legal status but worries about relatives who do not.
Now, she noted bitterly, "I'll be selling at a loss. But I don't care. I no longer have any affection for this place that treats us this way. I just want to get out."
Jose Ventura, a Salvadoran mason renting an apartment in Manassas, cites similar reasons for his decision to move not just his residence but also his business to Maryland.
Ventura, 38, who came to the United States seven years ago and then received the temporary protected status because of the earthquake in his homeland, smiled ruefully as he recalled the sense of possibility that suffused Prince William back then. "Oh, it was so great. There was so much work," he said.
He took two jobs to save enough to start a masonry company, then built it into a 35-person operation.
But a slowdown in the construction industry has forced Ventura to cut his workforce to 15 people. Meanwhile, his plan to buy a new house and offset some of the mortgage by renting some of the rooms backfired after county residents called for a crackdown on overcrowding. A few days ago, the bank foreclosed on the property, wiping out all $80,000 of his savings and leaving him $20,000 in debt.
The supervisors' unanimous approval of the anti-illegal immigration resolution struck Ventura as the last straw.
"I feel like when this county was growing, when they needed us, they welcomed us Latinos with open arms," he said. "But now that the county is all grown up and times are hard, it's totally turned its back on us. They are so ungrateful."
Random Sweeps Are a Worry
By N.C. Aizenman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 22, 2007; A01
Supporters of the anti-illegal immigration measure adopted in Prince William County last week have argued that its most important purpose is to send a powerful signal to the county's mostly Latino illegal immigrants that they are no longer welcome.
It appears the message has already been received: Terrified that new policies will lead to mass deportations, illegal immigrants and the many legal immigrant relatives and friends who live with them have been moving out of Prince William ever since July, when county supervisors first approved the plan's outline.
The size of the migration is difficult to measure, particularly during a year when slumping housing prices and skyrocketing foreclosures have led many residents to move for purely economic reasons.
Still, signs of the growing climate of fear are everywhere.
At the Freetown Market, a convenience store in a heavily Latino section of Woodbridge that offers U-Haul trucks for hire, one-way rentals have jumped from between 10 and 20 a month just before July to about 40 a month today.
In the same strip mall, at a money-transfer store where the customer line to pay utility bills once snaked out the door, business has slowed so dramatically the past three months that one clerk has been let go and the remaining one spends most of her time on the computer, e-mailing gloomy updates to relatives back home in Guatemala.
A few doors down, staff workers at the IMA English language academy will soon be taking the American flag decorations off the walls and moving to a smaller space, because the number of students has plummeted from 350 to about 60 since July.
"There is a mass panic," said the academy's owner, Roberto Catacora. "Those who haven't already moved away don't dare step outside their houses."
Although one of the new measures directs county police to check the immigration status of only criminal suspects, many immigrants think that all Latinos will be subject to random sweeps, Catacora added.
The effect on his once-bustling academy was palpable on a recent weeknight, when all but one of the six classrooms were deserted.
Among the absent students was Jose Luis Pubeac, 42, a day laborer who sneaked into the country 18 months ago. He was busy preparing for his flight back to El Salvador on Saturday.
"I was already thinking of going home, because I was having such a hard time finding work," said Pubeac, speaking on his cellphone as he raced around picking up presents for his five children back home. "But this law convinced me it was time. [They] hate us so much here."
Most departing immigrants, however, appear to be moving closer afield, choosing states such as North Carolina or neighboring counties such as Prince George's or Arlington that they perceive as less hostile.
In August, Walter Ramirez settled on Alexandria.
A 29-year-old construction worker, Ramirez was not personally at risk from Prince William's crackdown because he has a temporary permit granted to many Salvadorans when an earthquake devastated their country in 2001.
But his roommates were a different story. And after the July resolution was adopted, they were overcome with stifling paranoia.
"I used to walk over to the supermarket every day to pick up food or a phone card or just to hang out," recalled one roommate, a 22-year-old from Honduras who sneaked into the United States three years ago. "But suddenly it seemed like there were so many police officers there, so I limited myself to once a week. It was so stressful, because you feel totally locked up, like you're a prisoner in your own home," he added, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Ramirez nodded his head sympathetically. The two were sitting on a large tan couch that took up almost the entire living room of their new home, a walled-off section of a ramshackle colonial house on a leafy cul-de-sac.
The cramped quarters are a step down from the well-kept apartment they rented in Woodbridge, where each man paid $275 a month for his own room and had access to the nicely landscaped complex's swimming pool. In Alexandria, they pay $400 each for shared rooms, make do with a hot plate in place of a stove and are no longer walking distance from friends and shops.
"It's a more isolated life here, and that's a sacrifice. But I had no choice," Ramirez said. "My buddies are like my family. I can't live in a place where they are going to be persecuted."
Several real estate agents who serve Latino immigrants predicted that more people will reach the same conclusion as Ramirez now that the Prince William Board of County Supervisors has given final approval to the anti-illegal immigration measure.
"This is not something that only affects the undocumented," agent Rosie Vilchez said. "Because in the same family, it's so common to have some people who are citizens, some people who are residents and some who are undocumented. And those with papers are going to do whatever is necessary to protect those without."
Within hours of the board's vote, Salvadoran-born Aracely Diaz instructed her real estate agent to put her townhouse on the market.
Diaz, a supermarket checkout clerk, was one of nearly 400 people who waited for hours to comment on the bill during the marathon pre-vote session that stretched into Wednesday's wee hours.
"Even after they passed that July resolution, I had hope that [the supervisors] would change their minds," said Diaz, 37, who has legal status but worries about relatives who do not.
Now, she noted bitterly, "I'll be selling at a loss. But I don't care. I no longer have any affection for this place that treats us this way. I just want to get out."
Jose Ventura, a Salvadoran mason renting an apartment in Manassas, cites similar reasons for his decision to move not just his residence but also his business to Maryland.
Ventura, 38, who came to the United States seven years ago and then received the temporary protected status because of the earthquake in his homeland, smiled ruefully as he recalled the sense of possibility that suffused Prince William back then. "Oh, it was so great. There was so much work," he said.
He took two jobs to save enough to start a masonry company, then built it into a 35-person operation.
But a slowdown in the construction industry has forced Ventura to cut his workforce to 15 people. Meanwhile, his plan to buy a new house and offset some of the mortgage by renting some of the rooms backfired after county residents called for a crackdown on overcrowding. A few days ago, the bank foreclosed on the property, wiping out all $80,000 of his savings and leaving him $20,000 in debt.
The supervisors' unanimous approval of the anti-illegal immigration resolution struck Ventura as the last straw.
"I feel like when this county was growing, when they needed us, they welcomed us Latinos with open arms," he said. "But now that the county is all grown up and times are hard, it's totally turned its back on us. They are so ungrateful."
After Vote, Pr. William Immigrant Plan Faces Hurdles (Sarah)
After Vote, Pr. William Immigrant Plan Faces Hurdles
By Nick Miroff and Kristen Mack
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, October 18, 2007; A01
Within months, traffic stops in Prince William County may carry serious consequences for thousands of residents, as police officers begin checking the immigration status of anyone who breaks the law, whether for speeding or shoplifting, if they believe that person is in the country illegally.
With their unanimous vote early yesterday, the county supervisors also cut off certain services to illegal immigrants who are homeless, elderly or addicted to drugs.
The supervisors have yet to determine how they will pay for enforcement of the policies. But in a raw, emotional sense, the perception of the changes coming to Prince William has outpaced the reality of funding limitations and other practical matters.
"We get the looks," said Yolanda Lemus, a Salvadoran-born U.S. citizen who lives in Woodbridge. "I've felt it since this whole thing first came out. You don't have to be a criminal."
Lemus, an administrative assistant, said she was too upset to go to work this morning after she learned that the Board of County Supervisors had voted 8 to 0 to proceed with its closely followed crackdown. She was one of nearly 400 speakers who lined up to address the supervisors during a 12-hour public comment period that stretched into early yesterday.
More than 1,200 people showed up at the county's government complex in Woodbridge for the vote, the majority of them Hispanics opposed to the measures. Many were stunned that their impassioned pleas failed to stir a single dissenting vote.
"I'm so ashamed," Lemus said. "I cannot believe I live here right now."
Jane Mee, who supported the measures, cheered the vote. "It takes guts for the county to do this," she said. "It shows strength and leadership. We cannot bear the burden of illegal immigration any longer."
A similar debate is playing out in communities across the country, where an increasing number of jurisdictions have been taking steps to clamp down on illegal immigrants after Congress failed to pass immigration overhaul measures.
The resolution approved yesterday contains two provisions addressing concerns raised by residents who say the new measures will lead to racial profiling and discrimination. It calls for a public education campaign to ease fears and directs the county to partner with a university or consulting group to review the measures' fairness after two years.
Police Chief Charlie T. Deane has appeared on Spanish-language radio stations to explain the policies and has allocated $25,000 for informational purposes, saying that misconceptions are widespread on both sides of the debate.
"On the one hand, many people expect us to do more," Deane said. "And I think there is a perception that the things police have done in the past as part of their normal duties, such as sobriety checkpoints, are now seen as asking for documents."
"In reality, officers will be carrying out their duties as they normally have," he said.
Under the new rules, officers will cooperate more closely with federal immigration authorities and check the status of anyone who breaks a law or local ordinance if there is probable cause to believe the person is an illegal immigrant. Officials say routine traffic stops may last several hours, as patrol officers sort through foreign identification cards and visa categories and consult with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
But Deane said county police will not enforce the measures until all of his 537 officers are trained in determining legal status, which will take months. Classes won't begin until at least January.
A seven-officer Criminal Alien Unit created by the board's vote yesterday won't materialize overnight, either. First, the officers will need to be trained by federal agents, and the county is waiting in line along with dozens of other localities targeting illegal immigrants.
Furthermore, Deane said the new measures are primarily designed to snare illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds. Although county officers will have the power to check the immigration status of anyone who breaks the law, federal agents will still need to determine what to do next and aren't capable of picking up every illegal immigrant with a broken taillight. Those released will have their personal information forwarded to immigration agents, who may initiate deportation proceedings.
"This is a responsible, careful and measured approach. This is not the broad and sweeping end-all solution," said Greg Letiecq, a conservative blogger and president of Help Save Manassas, the grass-roots organization that helped draft the measures and lobbied hard for their approval.
Legal experts say the county policies are untested in court. A group of 22 plaintiffs has filed a lawsuit against the county and its top officials in federal court seeking to block the measures, claiming that they violate equal protection laws and that immigration enforcement is a federal concern.
The supervisors committed just $325,000 yesterday toward the police measures, which are projected to cost $14.2 million over five years. County staff members have said that the costs will be minimal for the new service restrictions.
Programs that are now off-limits for illegal immigrants include bus tours for senior citizens, leadership training programs for adults, and rental and mortgage assistance. The measures also prohibit illegal immigrants from getting business licenses.
Deane said that the $325,000 was "start-up" funding and that he would return to ask the supervisors for the rest of the money they have pledged. No price tag was attached to the public education campaign or the county's planned partnership with a university or consulting group. But the board's chairman, Corey A. Stewart (R), who is campaigning for reelection as an illegal-immigration "fighter," said he expected those costs to be "nominal."
"We're getting a big bang for the buck here," Stewart said before the supervisors' meeting. "The overall budget for Prince William County is $2 billion," he said, calling the measures "a drop in the bucket."
View all comments that have been posted about this article.
By Nick Miroff and Kristen Mack
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, October 18, 2007; A01
Within months, traffic stops in Prince William County may carry serious consequences for thousands of residents, as police officers begin checking the immigration status of anyone who breaks the law, whether for speeding or shoplifting, if they believe that person is in the country illegally.
With their unanimous vote early yesterday, the county supervisors also cut off certain services to illegal immigrants who are homeless, elderly or addicted to drugs.
The supervisors have yet to determine how they will pay for enforcement of the policies. But in a raw, emotional sense, the perception of the changes coming to Prince William has outpaced the reality of funding limitations and other practical matters.
"We get the looks," said Yolanda Lemus, a Salvadoran-born U.S. citizen who lives in Woodbridge. "I've felt it since this whole thing first came out. You don't have to be a criminal."
Lemus, an administrative assistant, said she was too upset to go to work this morning after she learned that the Board of County Supervisors had voted 8 to 0 to proceed with its closely followed crackdown. She was one of nearly 400 speakers who lined up to address the supervisors during a 12-hour public comment period that stretched into early yesterday.
More than 1,200 people showed up at the county's government complex in Woodbridge for the vote, the majority of them Hispanics opposed to the measures. Many were stunned that their impassioned pleas failed to stir a single dissenting vote.
"I'm so ashamed," Lemus said. "I cannot believe I live here right now."
Jane Mee, who supported the measures, cheered the vote. "It takes guts for the county to do this," she said. "It shows strength and leadership. We cannot bear the burden of illegal immigration any longer."
A similar debate is playing out in communities across the country, where an increasing number of jurisdictions have been taking steps to clamp down on illegal immigrants after Congress failed to pass immigration overhaul measures.
The resolution approved yesterday contains two provisions addressing concerns raised by residents who say the new measures will lead to racial profiling and discrimination. It calls for a public education campaign to ease fears and directs the county to partner with a university or consulting group to review the measures' fairness after two years.
Police Chief Charlie T. Deane has appeared on Spanish-language radio stations to explain the policies and has allocated $25,000 for informational purposes, saying that misconceptions are widespread on both sides of the debate.
"On the one hand, many people expect us to do more," Deane said. "And I think there is a perception that the things police have done in the past as part of their normal duties, such as sobriety checkpoints, are now seen as asking for documents."
"In reality, officers will be carrying out their duties as they normally have," he said.
Under the new rules, officers will cooperate more closely with federal immigration authorities and check the status of anyone who breaks a law or local ordinance if there is probable cause to believe the person is an illegal immigrant. Officials say routine traffic stops may last several hours, as patrol officers sort through foreign identification cards and visa categories and consult with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
But Deane said county police will not enforce the measures until all of his 537 officers are trained in determining legal status, which will take months. Classes won't begin until at least January.
A seven-officer Criminal Alien Unit created by the board's vote yesterday won't materialize overnight, either. First, the officers will need to be trained by federal agents, and the county is waiting in line along with dozens of other localities targeting illegal immigrants.
Furthermore, Deane said the new measures are primarily designed to snare illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds. Although county officers will have the power to check the immigration status of anyone who breaks the law, federal agents will still need to determine what to do next and aren't capable of picking up every illegal immigrant with a broken taillight. Those released will have their personal information forwarded to immigration agents, who may initiate deportation proceedings.
"This is a responsible, careful and measured approach. This is not the broad and sweeping end-all solution," said Greg Letiecq, a conservative blogger and president of Help Save Manassas, the grass-roots organization that helped draft the measures and lobbied hard for their approval.
Legal experts say the county policies are untested in court. A group of 22 plaintiffs has filed a lawsuit against the county and its top officials in federal court seeking to block the measures, claiming that they violate equal protection laws and that immigration enforcement is a federal concern.
The supervisors committed just $325,000 yesterday toward the police measures, which are projected to cost $14.2 million over five years. County staff members have said that the costs will be minimal for the new service restrictions.
Programs that are now off-limits for illegal immigrants include bus tours for senior citizens, leadership training programs for adults, and rental and mortgage assistance. The measures also prohibit illegal immigrants from getting business licenses.
Deane said that the $325,000 was "start-up" funding and that he would return to ask the supervisors for the rest of the money they have pledged. No price tag was attached to the public education campaign or the county's planned partnership with a university or consulting group. But the board's chairman, Corey A. Stewart (R), who is campaigning for reelection as an illegal-immigration "fighter," said he expected those costs to be "nominal."
"We're getting a big bang for the buck here," Stewart said before the supervisors' meeting. "The overall budget for Prince William County is $2 billion," he said, calling the measures "a drop in the bucket."
View all comments that have been posted about this article.
Immigration PWC (Sarah)
Immigration: Prince William County
Corey A. Stewart
Chairman, Prince William County Board of Supervisors
Thursday, October 18, 2007; 3:30 PM
Within months, traffic stops in Prince William County may carry serious consequences for thousands of residents, as police officers begin checking the immigration status of anyone who breaks the law, whether for speeding or shoplifting, if they believe that person is in the country illegally.
With their unanimous vote early yesterday, the county supervisors also cut off certain services to illegal immigrants who are homeless, elderly or addicted to drugs. A similar debate is playing out in communities across the country, where an increasing number of jurisdictions have been taking steps to clamp down on illegal immigrants after Congress failed to pass immigration overhaul measures.
Corey A. Stewart, chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, will be online Thursday, Oct. 18, at 3:30 p.m. ET to discuss the board's decision.
A transcript follows.
____________________
Wheaton, Md.: Bravo to your community. I only hope Montgomery County, Md., follows your lead and stops draining taxpayer's dollars for lawbreakers.
Keep up the good work!
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you.
_______________________
Woodbridge, Va.: For months, we've been told that illegals are somehow acting as a financial drain on us -- they use up services that cost us all money. Now, according to the Post (Jump in Tax Rate Looms as Home Values Plunge, 14 Oct 07, PW01) you're working to raise our tax rates an average of $257 extra, partly to pay for the PWPD's illegal crackdown and to defray lawsuits. So it looks to me that it isn't illegals that are costing me, but rather the crackdown. Do you think that's fair? I don't normally vote for Republicans, but you promised lower taxes, and now you've reneged. Guess I learned my lesson!
Corey A. Stewart: For the first time in several years, we've been able to keep average Prince William resident tax bills flat. I do not anticipate a significant increase in average tax bills next year either. Nearly all communities in the U.S. are now facing fiscal challenges, and Prince William is no exception. The cost of our crackdown on illegal immigration will not significantly affect that situation.
_______________________
Alexandria, Va.: First of all, my family came here from Afghanistan in 1981...LEGALLY. I am very passionate about immigration. If it is done under the rule of law, welcome. I'm very happy that PW County is looking out for the residents who are paying taxes.
My question is, why did this take so long to become an issue?
Corey A. Stewart: That is a good question. As soon as I was elected Chairman last fall, the Baord initiated the 287(g) program in our jail to allow us to intiate deportations of illegal immigrants who are arrested. That program is now working successfully and we have identified 150 inmates who are illegal aliens -- and we have just started. I hope that other localities follow our lead on this.
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Clarendon, Va: Hello Mr Stewart,
If I'm stopped by a cop in Prince William Co, how can I prove that I'm not an illegal alien?
A valid drivers license doesn't count as proof. You can get one while on a temporary visa and then keep renewing after the visa has expired.
Do I need to carry my UK passport with its valid visa when I visit Prince William?
Corey A. Stewart: No. Our police will be trained to do this properly over the next several weeks. If you are legally resident in the United States, you have nothing to worry about.
_______________________
Loudoun County, Va.: I've just completed a study that shows crime, per capita, has actually gone down in areas that have the largest immigrant populations -- both legal and illegal --in the last five years. Eight of 10 these cities saw significant decreases in crime, especially violent crime. One city experienced a big increase in violent crime, Houston, but that crime was directly the result of influx of native-born criminals, namely criminals who fled New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. What empirical evidence does Prince William County have that illegal aliens are the cause of increased crime, welfare dependency, or any of the other ills you and your fellow commissioners are so willing to blame them for?
Corey A. Stewart: Fully 21% of our jail population are illegal aliens. Up to 1/3 of gang members in Northern Virginia are illegal aliens. It is my responsibility as a public official to protect the lives and property of County residents.
_______________________
Woodbridge, Va.: Does that mean the $257/tax bill figure is incorrect?
Corey A. Stewart: I am not sure where that figure comes from.
_______________________
Woodbridge, Va.: Mr. Stewart,
As a resident of Prince William County I am extraordinarily displeased and ashamed of your "leadership" in regards to the issue of immigration. You have mounted a campaign based on fear and alienation. You have also displayed your ignorance on the matter on several occasions -- the most notable the misuse of the Constitution. I believe you were using a section that related to transportation, not immigration. Given the fact that your hate tactics have only caused greater tension within the county, do you plan to offer any useful solutions through the remainder of your term?
Corey A. Stewart: You have a right to your opinion. But yes, I am and will continue to reach into the Latino community to assure them that this resolution is aimed at illegal immigrants only -- not Latinos or legal residents.
_______________________
Manassas, Va.: How much has this brouhaha cost the taxpayers to date in terms of staff time which could have been spent on other projects? Projected legal fees to defend us in court? What has the Board determined to be the savings to taxpayers once this is put in force? Details have been sorely lacking in what this means to the taxpayers of the county monetarily.
Corey A. Stewart: First and foremost, this is a public safety initiative to remove illegal aliens who violate the law. This is money well spent to improve the safety of the public.
_______________________
Centreville, Va.: I am a naturalized US Citizen, but still have an accent. If I happen to be stopped by the police in your county what documents should I have to prove my status? Remind you that there are no requirements for a U..S citizen to carry any such documents with him/her at all times... As well how long you anticipate it will take for the officer to confirm my status, based only on my driver's license? Does this infringe on my right against unreasonable search?
Corey A. Stewart: Please see previous reply.
_______________________
Woodbridge, Va.: Mr. Stewart, have you and/or your Board members thought about the ramifications of your stupid resolution? What is the County going to do with the U.S. born children whose mothers will be deported due to the regulation? I guess the county will have to pay to support those motherless children right? At what cost? Raising our taxes?
Corey A. Stewart: That is an issue for the immigration judge. Please keep in mind that Prince William County does not ultimately decide whether someone should be deported or not.
_______________________
Alexandria, Va.: What steps are you taking to ensure constitutional rights are protected for people subject to these types of stops. As a constitutional attorney, your new procedures/policies seem ripe for numerous Constitutional challenges in court. For example: racial profiling, privacy rights, Fourth Amendment stops, the list goes on.
Corey A. Stewart: We are working very carefully to implement procedures to guard against racial profiling or other discriminatory behavior.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.: Where are your ancestors from, Mr. Stewart? Did any of your great-grandparents come to the U.S. as immigrants, as mine did?
As long as the county institutes policies that are so uncaring and unfeeling, I will no longer go to Potomac Mills for shopping. Certainly the mall gives the county money, and I will no longer support any venture that leads to PW County making money. This is the only way I can make an impact. Arundel Mills, prepare for my Christmas shopping dollars!
Corey A. Stewart: Sorry to hear that.
_______________________
Manassas, Va.: Who will do the jobs the at $6 and $8 an hour that immigrants currenlty do?
Corey A. Stewart: My sole focus as a local official is the impact of illegal immigration on County services and public safety.
_______________________
Manassas, Va.: Mr. Stewart,
Why is this topic an uproar? Legal citizens are expected to obey the laws of this country and pay taxes. Is it a big deal that illegal immigrants are expected to do the same.
I don't understand why the illegals think they have a right to live here without being part of the tax base.
I am not a fan of my supervisor or of the government in this county but I appreciate what you are doing in regard to illegal immigration.
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you. We appreciate your support.
_______________________
Woodbridge, Va.: I am a legal Hispanic and have been a resident of Prince William County for a long time. I am proud of you, Mr. Stewart for upholding the National Law while the Federal Government fails us. I came here legally, yes it took time but it was worth it. I am disapointed in my fellow Hispanic brothers and sisters who come sneaking into a country and then pick and choose which laws to follow. By the way -- everyone is asked for ID and proof of residency when doing many different things here. I applaud the police and Mr. Stewart for standing their ground and working to better me and my children's lives.
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you. My own wife is a legal immigrant. On a personsal level, I believe it is unfair that the Federal Government should turn a blind eye to illegal immigration when those who wish to enter our country legally must wait years to do so. As a local government official, my sole focus is the impact of illegal immigration on County services and public safety.
_______________________
Manassas, Va.: As a resident of Prince William County, you have my vote. Stopping illegal immigration is the first thing our country needs to address.
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you.
_______________________
Chantilly, Va.: How do you justify spending $14 million on a measure to block illegal immigrants from using services that you don't even know if they are using (i.e. substance abuse counseling, homeless assistance, and in-home care for the elderly)? Will it cost more to implement this plan than money saved by denying these services?
Corey A. Stewart: In the long run, I believe these measures will save money and reduce stress on County services. There is no question that the resolution will also improve public safety by removing illegal aliens who violate the law. It is a small price to pay for increased public safety.
_______________________
Re: Clarendon's Question: Your answer to Clarendon was too facile. (Glib, if you need a translation.) I am a middle-aged white woman. It will be presumed that I am an American citizen, even though I could be an illegal Canadian. I will not have to carry a birth certificate or passport to prove my citizenship, illegal or not. My Hispanic naturalized citizen neighbor (who speaks fluent English with a Spanish accent) will be hassled by the PW police and be required to show some sort of documentation that he is in fact a citizen. How will you forestall cops stopping people for being "not American" looking? We come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and accents.
Corey A. Stewart: Due to a pending litigation, I cannot answer this question in greater detail.
_______________________
Springfield, Va: I comment the PW board for making this tough decision. How can I, as a Fairfax County resident, convince my county board to do the same? With my real estate taxes continuing to rise I would like to see the drain on county resources stopped they should only be for legal residents. Why should I have to continue to pay for law breakers?
Corey A. Stewart: Please encourage the Fairfax Board to cooperate with us on the 287(g) program, which allows localities to initiate deporation proceedings for illegal aliens who commit crimes.
_______________________
Stafford, Va.: Mr. Stewart, thank you and your colleagues for doing something our State and Federal officials have failed to do for its citizens. I hope that these measures only serve as a beginning to the long needed crackdown on illegal immigrants.
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you.
_______________________
San Jose, Calif.: I am always happy to hear there are actual consequences to immigrating illegally. As a legal immigrant and green card holder I went though a lot of trouble, scrutiny and paid thousands of dollars in fees to be here legally. It angers me that people come here illegally and are given more protections and less trouble than I got while trying to do it. I congratulate you on your effort. I know many of my legal immigrant friends do as well.
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you. I hear that a lot from people who obeyed the law and entered our country legally.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.: Mr. Stewart, if your focus was on public safety as you have stated a couple of times, why the effort to identify any possible county service you could to strip from illegals? Is stripping services for the illegal immigrant elderly to help "public safety"? I understand your focus on criminals in the jails, get rid of them, but why all this other nonsense?
Corey A. Stewart: The purpose is improved public safety AND reducing strain on County services. The main purpose, however, is increasing public safety.
_______________________
Vienna, Va.: With this new regulation being passed, are you afraid and possibly prepared for the backlash from the community? All of this Immigration talk from the federal government to state and local could also bring along racist feelings to the forefront and people feeling that they can take their frustration out on different ethnic groups, whether they are legally here or not.
Corey A. Stewart: I disagree. Although the dialogue has been tense and controversial, I believe that, in the long run, an open dialogue is good for any community.
_______________________
Woodbridge, Va: I support the supervisors' decision. I just hope it will be applied equally to European nannies as well as Latino day laborers. Statistics indicate the majority of illegals are visa overstays and many of these are better able to "fit in" than border crossers. I don't care which one shows up at the public health clinic. I want both of them turned over to INS.
Corey A. Stewart: The law must be applied evenly and fairly, without discrimination or racial profiling.
_______________________
Central Virginia: Legal immigrant here, absolutely supporting the decision. When we lived in PW, it hurt me everytime I passed 7-11 on corner of Jeff Davis Dr to see those people just hang out there in clear view of everyone, waiting for someone like me or my husband (U.S. born) to give them job! I am also glad to hear prisons are doing their part to send those people back where they came from -- less waste of taxpayer money and no additional criminals on this side of the border. A better border patrol would help too, instead of prosecuting border patrol agents who do their job.
My question is what about the majority people born in the U.S. -- what do they supposed to do if pulled out for speeding? Carry birth certificate?
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you. I cannot reply to your second question in any specificity due to ongoing litigation.
_______________________
Determining legal status: Please stop side-stepping the issue of how you are going to determine who is a U.S. citizen or legal or illegal immigrant. I am a legal immigrant who is very aware of just how complicated the immigration rules are -- my status in this country is valid but my visa isn't and I have had three types of visa so far.
How are you going to determine who is legal and who isn't?
Corey A. Stewart: I cannot reply to this question in any specificity due to ongonig litigation.
_______________________
Greenbelt, Md.: A comment and a question:
As the granddaughter of "anchor babies" born to French Canadian immigrants in the late 19th century, I deplore the policies you have put into place in your county. I remember how my late mother felt like a second-class citizen even in a nearly-all-Caucasian community when she was growing up, because "those Canucks" were looked down upon for "taking all the factory jobs away." I cannot in good conscience subject another generation to that kind of racial/ethnic stereotyping.
Since I cannot prove that my great-grandparents entered the United States legally, do you believe that I should be forced to surrender my U.S. passport and leave this country?
Corey A. Stewart: These measures are aimed solely at illegal immigrants, not Latinos or legal immigrants. Our County does not decide whether anyone will ultimately be deported -- that is left up to an immigration judge.
_______________________
Waldorf, Md.: It is apparent that you and your board are only interested in serving one portion of the PW population. Are there any diversity initiatives or task forces in your county that can ensure the public safety and general well-being of the immigrants being targeted? There seems to be a lot of unspoken agendas behind this decision.
Corey A. Stewart: Yes. We will be working internally and with an independent third party -- probably a university -- in reviewing the program on an ongoing basis to help guard against racial profiling.
_______________________
Loudoun County: You say that 21 percent of inmates in P.W.'s jail are illegal aliens. I am curious how you know this. Are you already obtaining information of immigration status of all prisoners? Most jurisdictions don't collect this information and most assertions such as yours turn out to be false once they're checked. I'd be pleased to be proved wrong. Can you provide me with the specific empirical basis for your claim.
Corey A. Stewart: We have already implemented the 287(g) authority in our jail. The data is solid.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.: Have you done a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis on how this tactic is going to affect your economy? I don't see how this could possibly be a net benefit. Seems like the politics of hate to me. I guess that's to be expected of politicians nowadays.
Corey A. Stewart: I disagree. It is incorrect to dismiss these measures as the politics of hate. Illegal immigration has deteriorated the quality of life in the community, and residents have asked us to address it.
_______________________
Manassas, Va..: My heartfelt thanks for listening to your constituents, and having the courage to do the right thing!
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.: If you are re-elected, what will you do to address the discord in your county that has come about as a result of the battle over immigration?
Corey A. Stewart: Please see previous reply. I will continue efforts to reach into the Latino and legal immigrant communities to correct any misconceptions about these measures.
_______________________
Bel Air, Md.: You didn't answer a prior question directly.
I am a naturalized citizen, from India, and probably would be mistaken for someone from middle east.
If I am stopped for any reason in your county, how do they determine that I am legally entitled to be here, and not an illegal immigrant? I don't carry a passport or naturalization papers whenever I leave home.
Corey A. Stewart: No one will be stopped unless they have committed an underlying violation of law. I cannot repond to your second question due to pending litigation.
_______________________
Germantown, Md.: During any traffic stop, how will the police officer decide whether or not to check one's immigration status? Accent? Looks? Unless they check everyone equally, or use some random pattern, how will they avoid racial/ethnic profiling? Does this mean that as a U.S. citizen I will be subject to immigration background checks, even though I was born in the U.S. and do not speak with a foreign accent? Should I carry my birth certificate with me?
Corey A. Stewart: I cannot respond to your question due to pending litigation.
_______________________
Manassas, Va.: So when this law goes into effect? All Hispanics that are pull over for whatever reasons will have their legal status checked? What criteria or guideline will the police use to determine whether they're to run immigration status check?
If I'm Hispanic I need to carry around my green card or paperwork to prove my legal status? I hate to admit it but this is a really bad time to be a Hispanic in America.
A few years ago we were profiling blacks for the high crime rates in our cities. Then we shifted over to Arabs after the 9/11 attacks. And now Hispanics for coming here legally or illegally to work in low paying jobs to sustain our economy.
I'm of Asian descent and I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to be next.
Corey A. Stewart: Clear police procedures and comprehensive training will be implemented to prevent racial profiling. I cannot answer your second question due to pending litigation.
_______________________
Anonymous: I am a legal resident but in future I will try to avoid traveling to PW county if i can. It's not worth the hassle.
Corey A. Stewart: Sorry to hear that. The County is a great place.
_______________________
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you all. I respect all of your opinions, even where we disagree.
_______________________
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
Corey A. Stewart
Chairman, Prince William County Board of Supervisors
Thursday, October 18, 2007; 3:30 PM
Within months, traffic stops in Prince William County may carry serious consequences for thousands of residents, as police officers begin checking the immigration status of anyone who breaks the law, whether for speeding or shoplifting, if they believe that person is in the country illegally.
With their unanimous vote early yesterday, the county supervisors also cut off certain services to illegal immigrants who are homeless, elderly or addicted to drugs. A similar debate is playing out in communities across the country, where an increasing number of jurisdictions have been taking steps to clamp down on illegal immigrants after Congress failed to pass immigration overhaul measures.
Corey A. Stewart, chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, will be online Thursday, Oct. 18, at 3:30 p.m. ET to discuss the board's decision.
A transcript follows.
____________________
Wheaton, Md.: Bravo to your community. I only hope Montgomery County, Md., follows your lead and stops draining taxpayer's dollars for lawbreakers.
Keep up the good work!
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you.
_______________________
Woodbridge, Va.: For months, we've been told that illegals are somehow acting as a financial drain on us -- they use up services that cost us all money. Now, according to the Post (Jump in Tax Rate Looms as Home Values Plunge, 14 Oct 07, PW01) you're working to raise our tax rates an average of $257 extra, partly to pay for the PWPD's illegal crackdown and to defray lawsuits. So it looks to me that it isn't illegals that are costing me, but rather the crackdown. Do you think that's fair? I don't normally vote for Republicans, but you promised lower taxes, and now you've reneged. Guess I learned my lesson!
Corey A. Stewart: For the first time in several years, we've been able to keep average Prince William resident tax bills flat. I do not anticipate a significant increase in average tax bills next year either. Nearly all communities in the U.S. are now facing fiscal challenges, and Prince William is no exception. The cost of our crackdown on illegal immigration will not significantly affect that situation.
_______________________
Alexandria, Va.: First of all, my family came here from Afghanistan in 1981...LEGALLY. I am very passionate about immigration. If it is done under the rule of law, welcome. I'm very happy that PW County is looking out for the residents who are paying taxes.
My question is, why did this take so long to become an issue?
Corey A. Stewart: That is a good question. As soon as I was elected Chairman last fall, the Baord initiated the 287(g) program in our jail to allow us to intiate deportations of illegal immigrants who are arrested. That program is now working successfully and we have identified 150 inmates who are illegal aliens -- and we have just started. I hope that other localities follow our lead on this.
_______________________
Clarendon, Va: Hello Mr Stewart,
If I'm stopped by a cop in Prince William Co, how can I prove that I'm not an illegal alien?
A valid drivers license doesn't count as proof. You can get one while on a temporary visa and then keep renewing after the visa has expired.
Do I need to carry my UK passport with its valid visa when I visit Prince William?
Corey A. Stewart: No. Our police will be trained to do this properly over the next several weeks. If you are legally resident in the United States, you have nothing to worry about.
_______________________
Loudoun County, Va.: I've just completed a study that shows crime, per capita, has actually gone down in areas that have the largest immigrant populations -- both legal and illegal --in the last five years. Eight of 10 these cities saw significant decreases in crime, especially violent crime. One city experienced a big increase in violent crime, Houston, but that crime was directly the result of influx of native-born criminals, namely criminals who fled New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. What empirical evidence does Prince William County have that illegal aliens are the cause of increased crime, welfare dependency, or any of the other ills you and your fellow commissioners are so willing to blame them for?
Corey A. Stewart: Fully 21% of our jail population are illegal aliens. Up to 1/3 of gang members in Northern Virginia are illegal aliens. It is my responsibility as a public official to protect the lives and property of County residents.
_______________________
Woodbridge, Va.: Does that mean the $257/tax bill figure is incorrect?
Corey A. Stewart: I am not sure where that figure comes from.
_______________________
Woodbridge, Va.: Mr. Stewart,
As a resident of Prince William County I am extraordinarily displeased and ashamed of your "leadership" in regards to the issue of immigration. You have mounted a campaign based on fear and alienation. You have also displayed your ignorance on the matter on several occasions -- the most notable the misuse of the Constitution. I believe you were using a section that related to transportation, not immigration. Given the fact that your hate tactics have only caused greater tension within the county, do you plan to offer any useful solutions through the remainder of your term?
Corey A. Stewart: You have a right to your opinion. But yes, I am and will continue to reach into the Latino community to assure them that this resolution is aimed at illegal immigrants only -- not Latinos or legal residents.
_______________________
Manassas, Va.: How much has this brouhaha cost the taxpayers to date in terms of staff time which could have been spent on other projects? Projected legal fees to defend us in court? What has the Board determined to be the savings to taxpayers once this is put in force? Details have been sorely lacking in what this means to the taxpayers of the county monetarily.
Corey A. Stewart: First and foremost, this is a public safety initiative to remove illegal aliens who violate the law. This is money well spent to improve the safety of the public.
_______________________
Centreville, Va.: I am a naturalized US Citizen, but still have an accent. If I happen to be stopped by the police in your county what documents should I have to prove my status? Remind you that there are no requirements for a U..S citizen to carry any such documents with him/her at all times... As well how long you anticipate it will take for the officer to confirm my status, based only on my driver's license? Does this infringe on my right against unreasonable search?
Corey A. Stewart: Please see previous reply.
_______________________
Woodbridge, Va.: Mr. Stewart, have you and/or your Board members thought about the ramifications of your stupid resolution? What is the County going to do with the U.S. born children whose mothers will be deported due to the regulation? I guess the county will have to pay to support those motherless children right? At what cost? Raising our taxes?
Corey A. Stewart: That is an issue for the immigration judge. Please keep in mind that Prince William County does not ultimately decide whether someone should be deported or not.
_______________________
Alexandria, Va.: What steps are you taking to ensure constitutional rights are protected for people subject to these types of stops. As a constitutional attorney, your new procedures/policies seem ripe for numerous Constitutional challenges in court. For example: racial profiling, privacy rights, Fourth Amendment stops, the list goes on.
Corey A. Stewart: We are working very carefully to implement procedures to guard against racial profiling or other discriminatory behavior.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.: Where are your ancestors from, Mr. Stewart? Did any of your great-grandparents come to the U.S. as immigrants, as mine did?
As long as the county institutes policies that are so uncaring and unfeeling, I will no longer go to Potomac Mills for shopping. Certainly the mall gives the county money, and I will no longer support any venture that leads to PW County making money. This is the only way I can make an impact. Arundel Mills, prepare for my Christmas shopping dollars!
Corey A. Stewart: Sorry to hear that.
_______________________
Manassas, Va.: Who will do the jobs the at $6 and $8 an hour that immigrants currenlty do?
Corey A. Stewart: My sole focus as a local official is the impact of illegal immigration on County services and public safety.
_______________________
Manassas, Va.: Mr. Stewart,
Why is this topic an uproar? Legal citizens are expected to obey the laws of this country and pay taxes. Is it a big deal that illegal immigrants are expected to do the same.
I don't understand why the illegals think they have a right to live here without being part of the tax base.
I am not a fan of my supervisor or of the government in this county but I appreciate what you are doing in regard to illegal immigration.
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you. We appreciate your support.
_______________________
Woodbridge, Va.: I am a legal Hispanic and have been a resident of Prince William County for a long time. I am proud of you, Mr. Stewart for upholding the National Law while the Federal Government fails us. I came here legally, yes it took time but it was worth it. I am disapointed in my fellow Hispanic brothers and sisters who come sneaking into a country and then pick and choose which laws to follow. By the way -- everyone is asked for ID and proof of residency when doing many different things here. I applaud the police and Mr. Stewart for standing their ground and working to better me and my children's lives.
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you. My own wife is a legal immigrant. On a personsal level, I believe it is unfair that the Federal Government should turn a blind eye to illegal immigration when those who wish to enter our country legally must wait years to do so. As a local government official, my sole focus is the impact of illegal immigration on County services and public safety.
_______________________
Manassas, Va.: As a resident of Prince William County, you have my vote. Stopping illegal immigration is the first thing our country needs to address.
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you.
_______________________
Chantilly, Va.: How do you justify spending $14 million on a measure to block illegal immigrants from using services that you don't even know if they are using (i.e. substance abuse counseling, homeless assistance, and in-home care for the elderly)? Will it cost more to implement this plan than money saved by denying these services?
Corey A. Stewart: In the long run, I believe these measures will save money and reduce stress on County services. There is no question that the resolution will also improve public safety by removing illegal aliens who violate the law. It is a small price to pay for increased public safety.
_______________________
Re: Clarendon's Question: Your answer to Clarendon was too facile. (Glib, if you need a translation.) I am a middle-aged white woman. It will be presumed that I am an American citizen, even though I could be an illegal Canadian. I will not have to carry a birth certificate or passport to prove my citizenship, illegal or not. My Hispanic naturalized citizen neighbor (who speaks fluent English with a Spanish accent) will be hassled by the PW police and be required to show some sort of documentation that he is in fact a citizen. How will you forestall cops stopping people for being "not American" looking? We come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and accents.
Corey A. Stewart: Due to a pending litigation, I cannot answer this question in greater detail.
_______________________
Springfield, Va: I comment the PW board for making this tough decision. How can I, as a Fairfax County resident, convince my county board to do the same? With my real estate taxes continuing to rise I would like to see the drain on county resources stopped they should only be for legal residents. Why should I have to continue to pay for law breakers?
Corey A. Stewart: Please encourage the Fairfax Board to cooperate with us on the 287(g) program, which allows localities to initiate deporation proceedings for illegal aliens who commit crimes.
_______________________
Stafford, Va.: Mr. Stewart, thank you and your colleagues for doing something our State and Federal officials have failed to do for its citizens. I hope that these measures only serve as a beginning to the long needed crackdown on illegal immigrants.
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you.
_______________________
San Jose, Calif.: I am always happy to hear there are actual consequences to immigrating illegally. As a legal immigrant and green card holder I went though a lot of trouble, scrutiny and paid thousands of dollars in fees to be here legally. It angers me that people come here illegally and are given more protections and less trouble than I got while trying to do it. I congratulate you on your effort. I know many of my legal immigrant friends do as well.
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you. I hear that a lot from people who obeyed the law and entered our country legally.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.: Mr. Stewart, if your focus was on public safety as you have stated a couple of times, why the effort to identify any possible county service you could to strip from illegals? Is stripping services for the illegal immigrant elderly to help "public safety"? I understand your focus on criminals in the jails, get rid of them, but why all this other nonsense?
Corey A. Stewart: The purpose is improved public safety AND reducing strain on County services. The main purpose, however, is increasing public safety.
_______________________
Vienna, Va.: With this new regulation being passed, are you afraid and possibly prepared for the backlash from the community? All of this Immigration talk from the federal government to state and local could also bring along racist feelings to the forefront and people feeling that they can take their frustration out on different ethnic groups, whether they are legally here or not.
Corey A. Stewart: I disagree. Although the dialogue has been tense and controversial, I believe that, in the long run, an open dialogue is good for any community.
_______________________
Woodbridge, Va: I support the supervisors' decision. I just hope it will be applied equally to European nannies as well as Latino day laborers. Statistics indicate the majority of illegals are visa overstays and many of these are better able to "fit in" than border crossers. I don't care which one shows up at the public health clinic. I want both of them turned over to INS.
Corey A. Stewart: The law must be applied evenly and fairly, without discrimination or racial profiling.
_______________________
Central Virginia: Legal immigrant here, absolutely supporting the decision. When we lived in PW, it hurt me everytime I passed 7-11 on corner of Jeff Davis Dr to see those people just hang out there in clear view of everyone, waiting for someone like me or my husband (U.S. born) to give them job! I am also glad to hear prisons are doing their part to send those people back where they came from -- less waste of taxpayer money and no additional criminals on this side of the border. A better border patrol would help too, instead of prosecuting border patrol agents who do their job.
My question is what about the majority people born in the U.S. -- what do they supposed to do if pulled out for speeding? Carry birth certificate?
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you. I cannot reply to your second question in any specificity due to ongoing litigation.
_______________________
Determining legal status: Please stop side-stepping the issue of how you are going to determine who is a U.S. citizen or legal or illegal immigrant. I am a legal immigrant who is very aware of just how complicated the immigration rules are -- my status in this country is valid but my visa isn't and I have had three types of visa so far.
How are you going to determine who is legal and who isn't?
Corey A. Stewart: I cannot reply to this question in any specificity due to ongonig litigation.
_______________________
Greenbelt, Md.: A comment and a question:
As the granddaughter of "anchor babies" born to French Canadian immigrants in the late 19th century, I deplore the policies you have put into place in your county. I remember how my late mother felt like a second-class citizen even in a nearly-all-Caucasian community when she was growing up, because "those Canucks" were looked down upon for "taking all the factory jobs away." I cannot in good conscience subject another generation to that kind of racial/ethnic stereotyping.
Since I cannot prove that my great-grandparents entered the United States legally, do you believe that I should be forced to surrender my U.S. passport and leave this country?
Corey A. Stewart: These measures are aimed solely at illegal immigrants, not Latinos or legal immigrants. Our County does not decide whether anyone will ultimately be deported -- that is left up to an immigration judge.
_______________________
Waldorf, Md.: It is apparent that you and your board are only interested in serving one portion of the PW population. Are there any diversity initiatives or task forces in your county that can ensure the public safety and general well-being of the immigrants being targeted? There seems to be a lot of unspoken agendas behind this decision.
Corey A. Stewart: Yes. We will be working internally and with an independent third party -- probably a university -- in reviewing the program on an ongoing basis to help guard against racial profiling.
_______________________
Loudoun County: You say that 21 percent of inmates in P.W.'s jail are illegal aliens. I am curious how you know this. Are you already obtaining information of immigration status of all prisoners? Most jurisdictions don't collect this information and most assertions such as yours turn out to be false once they're checked. I'd be pleased to be proved wrong. Can you provide me with the specific empirical basis for your claim.
Corey A. Stewart: We have already implemented the 287(g) authority in our jail. The data is solid.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.: Have you done a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis on how this tactic is going to affect your economy? I don't see how this could possibly be a net benefit. Seems like the politics of hate to me. I guess that's to be expected of politicians nowadays.
Corey A. Stewart: I disagree. It is incorrect to dismiss these measures as the politics of hate. Illegal immigration has deteriorated the quality of life in the community, and residents have asked us to address it.
_______________________
Manassas, Va..: My heartfelt thanks for listening to your constituents, and having the courage to do the right thing!
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.: If you are re-elected, what will you do to address the discord in your county that has come about as a result of the battle over immigration?
Corey A. Stewart: Please see previous reply. I will continue efforts to reach into the Latino and legal immigrant communities to correct any misconceptions about these measures.
_______________________
Bel Air, Md.: You didn't answer a prior question directly.
I am a naturalized citizen, from India, and probably would be mistaken for someone from middle east.
If I am stopped for any reason in your county, how do they determine that I am legally entitled to be here, and not an illegal immigrant? I don't carry a passport or naturalization papers whenever I leave home.
Corey A. Stewart: No one will be stopped unless they have committed an underlying violation of law. I cannot repond to your second question due to pending litigation.
_______________________
Germantown, Md.: During any traffic stop, how will the police officer decide whether or not to check one's immigration status? Accent? Looks? Unless they check everyone equally, or use some random pattern, how will they avoid racial/ethnic profiling? Does this mean that as a U.S. citizen I will be subject to immigration background checks, even though I was born in the U.S. and do not speak with a foreign accent? Should I carry my birth certificate with me?
Corey A. Stewart: I cannot respond to your question due to pending litigation.
_______________________
Manassas, Va.: So when this law goes into effect? All Hispanics that are pull over for whatever reasons will have their legal status checked? What criteria or guideline will the police use to determine whether they're to run immigration status check?
If I'm Hispanic I need to carry around my green card or paperwork to prove my legal status? I hate to admit it but this is a really bad time to be a Hispanic in America.
A few years ago we were profiling blacks for the high crime rates in our cities. Then we shifted over to Arabs after the 9/11 attacks. And now Hispanics for coming here legally or illegally to work in low paying jobs to sustain our economy.
I'm of Asian descent and I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to be next.
Corey A. Stewart: Clear police procedures and comprehensive training will be implemented to prevent racial profiling. I cannot answer your second question due to pending litigation.
_______________________
Anonymous: I am a legal resident but in future I will try to avoid traveling to PW county if i can. It's not worth the hassle.
Corey A. Stewart: Sorry to hear that. The County is a great place.
_______________________
Corey A. Stewart: Thank you all. I respect all of your opinions, even where we disagree.
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Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
Va County Oks Immigration Crackdown (Sarah)
Va. County OKs Immigration Crackdown
The Associated Press
Wednesday, October 17, 2007; 11:57 AM
MANASSAS, Va. -- One of the nation's toughest local crackdowns on illegal immigration was unanimously approved by Prince William County lawmakers early Wednesday after a 12-hour hearing marked by emotional testimony and scuffles.
The measures would deny certain county services to illegal immigrants, including business licenses, drug counseling, housing assistance and some services for the elderly. The county Board of Supervisors also gave police some funding to help them check the immigration status of anyone accused of breaking a law if an officer suspects the person is an illegal immigrant.
Nearly 400 residents and immigrants spoke for and against the measures during the 12-hour session that extended past 2 a.m. Wednesday.
Supporters and opponents scuffled in the street before the meeting began Tuesday afternoon. More than 1,200 people crowded into the county government center for the emotional hearing. Some children of immigrants asked board members not to hurt their parents, and one woman ran out of the hearing in tears, saying the policy would separate her from her daughter.
The supervisors added a resolution with provisions addressing cost, fairness and public confusion on the issue. The resolution calls for the county to implement a public education campaign for immigrant communities and directs it to partner with a university or consulting group to study the fairness of the measures.
"We don't want to be the kind of community that even allows the image that racial profiling is taking place," said Republican Supervisor Martin E. Nohe, who said he was concerned the measure would invite discrimination.
Supporters of the measure said illegal immigrants are breaking the law.
"Where do you get off demanding services, rights and mandatory citizenship?" said Manassas resident Robert Stephens. "Who invited you? You cry for your rights? You have none."
The Associated Press
Wednesday, October 17, 2007; 11:57 AM
MANASSAS, Va. -- One of the nation's toughest local crackdowns on illegal immigration was unanimously approved by Prince William County lawmakers early Wednesday after a 12-hour hearing marked by emotional testimony and scuffles.
The measures would deny certain county services to illegal immigrants, including business licenses, drug counseling, housing assistance and some services for the elderly. The county Board of Supervisors also gave police some funding to help them check the immigration status of anyone accused of breaking a law if an officer suspects the person is an illegal immigrant.
Nearly 400 residents and immigrants spoke for and against the measures during the 12-hour session that extended past 2 a.m. Wednesday.
Supporters and opponents scuffled in the street before the meeting began Tuesday afternoon. More than 1,200 people crowded into the county government center for the emotional hearing. Some children of immigrants asked board members not to hurt their parents, and one woman ran out of the hearing in tears, saying the policy would separate her from her daughter.
The supervisors added a resolution with provisions addressing cost, fairness and public confusion on the issue. The resolution calls for the county to implement a public education campaign for immigrant communities and directs it to partner with a university or consulting group to study the fairness of the measures.
"We don't want to be the kind of community that even allows the image that racial profiling is taking place," said Republican Supervisor Martin E. Nohe, who said he was concerned the measure would invite discrimination.
Supporters of the measure said illegal immigrants are breaking the law.
"Where do you get off demanding services, rights and mandatory citizenship?" said Manassas resident Robert Stephens. "Who invited you? You cry for your rights? You have none."
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Final Resolution Has less bite
Final resolution has less bite
By KEITH WALKER
kwalker@manassasjm.com
Thursday, October 18, 2007
What do you think?
An opponent of the anti-illegal immigration resolution reacts as she realizes the Board of County Supervisors is about to vote to pass early Wednesday.
An opponent of the anti-illegal immigration resolution reacts as she realizes the Board of County Supervisors is about to vote to pass early Wednesday. "You're going to burn in hell for what you've done to us," she shouted. (Dylan Moore/News & Messenger)
The final anti-illegal immigration resolution is a watered-down version of the one introduced in July by Prince William Supervisor John T. Stirrup, R-Gainesville.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors unanimously passed the county ordinance in the wee hours of Wednesday, after listening to comments from area residents for more than 12 hours.
The ordinance prevents illegal immigrants from getting business licenses and authorizes a seven-member Criminal Alien Police unit, along with training in immigration law for roughly 500 county police officers.
Eight county services - four dealing with the elderly and disabled - also will be denied to illegal immigrants.
The ordinance denies in-home medical services for elderly and disabled illegal immigrants; in-home services for aging illegal immigrants, which may include safety assessments of dwellings; adult identification services, which include fingerprinting for the elderly and disabled who may wander away from home; and an elderly disabled tax relief program.
Tax exemptions for home renovations, rental and mortgage assistance, substance abuse programs for jail inmates and a substance abuse outreach program for juveniles also will be denied to illegal immigrants.
The county cannot deny services that are funded by state or federal money, including education and health care.
Prince William Supervisor Martin E. Nohe, R-Coles, wrote the final resolution, which put some stringent checks and balances in place.
County staff will also develop a community outreach program to educate the public on what the resolution does and doesn't do.
Nohe said people who supported the resolution should not expect all illegal immigrants to be rounded up tomorrow.
"That's not gonna happen," Nohe said. "On the other hand you've got people in the immigrant community who are afraid - who also think that we're going to have mass deportations and racial profiling and we're not going to do that either."
According to the resolution, the county will enter into a partnership with an independent, non-partisan consulting group to monitor the effects on the community.
Staff members will report in August 2008 on the effectiveness of the new ordinance, enforcement data, workload and how racial profiling is being prevented.
The partnership with an independent firm will, in part, help ensure that racial profiling doesn't occur, Nohe said.
County staff will also develop a community outreach program to educate the public on what the resolution does and doesn't do.
The board also authorized $525,000 for the police department to form a Criminal Alien Unit, consisting of six detectives and one crime analyst, who will enforce immigration law.
Police will also begin checking the legal status of people they stop in their routine duties, if they determine there is probable cause to do so.
The board recently transferred $900,000 in carry-over money to the police department to begin paying for the program that will cost $14.2 million over five years.
But state budget cuts reduced the police department's budget by $525,000, leaving the department with $325,000 to get the program started this fiscal year.
Prince William Chairman Corey A. Stewart, R-at large, has suggested taking this year's difference from the county's contingency fund which contains about $796,000.
While Stewart supports using money from the contingency fund, he would leave it to staff to find a way to support the new ordinance, saying illegal immigration was the "top priority of the board."
"They may take the money from the contingency fund, but we didn't require them to do that," he said.
The initial resolution would have had every county agency that dealt with the public checking for legal status before providing county services.
Under Stirrup's first proposal police would have been directed to determine the legal status of every person they stopped for violations of state law or county ordinance.
It also would have allowed anyone to sue the county government if they determined county employees weren't verifying legal status.
By KEITH WALKER
kwalker@manassasjm.com
Thursday, October 18, 2007
What do you think?
An opponent of the anti-illegal immigration resolution reacts as she realizes the Board of County Supervisors is about to vote to pass early Wednesday.
An opponent of the anti-illegal immigration resolution reacts as she realizes the Board of County Supervisors is about to vote to pass early Wednesday. "You're going to burn in hell for what you've done to us," she shouted. (Dylan Moore/News & Messenger)
The final anti-illegal immigration resolution is a watered-down version of the one introduced in July by Prince William Supervisor John T. Stirrup, R-Gainesville.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors unanimously passed the county ordinance in the wee hours of Wednesday, after listening to comments from area residents for more than 12 hours.
The ordinance prevents illegal immigrants from getting business licenses and authorizes a seven-member Criminal Alien Police unit, along with training in immigration law for roughly 500 county police officers.
Eight county services - four dealing with the elderly and disabled - also will be denied to illegal immigrants.
The ordinance denies in-home medical services for elderly and disabled illegal immigrants; in-home services for aging illegal immigrants, which may include safety assessments of dwellings; adult identification services, which include fingerprinting for the elderly and disabled who may wander away from home; and an elderly disabled tax relief program.
Tax exemptions for home renovations, rental and mortgage assistance, substance abuse programs for jail inmates and a substance abuse outreach program for juveniles also will be denied to illegal immigrants.
The county cannot deny services that are funded by state or federal money, including education and health care.
Prince William Supervisor Martin E. Nohe, R-Coles, wrote the final resolution, which put some stringent checks and balances in place.
County staff will also develop a community outreach program to educate the public on what the resolution does and doesn't do.
Nohe said people who supported the resolution should not expect all illegal immigrants to be rounded up tomorrow.
"That's not gonna happen," Nohe said. "On the other hand you've got people in the immigrant community who are afraid - who also think that we're going to have mass deportations and racial profiling and we're not going to do that either."
According to the resolution, the county will enter into a partnership with an independent, non-partisan consulting group to monitor the effects on the community.
Staff members will report in August 2008 on the effectiveness of the new ordinance, enforcement data, workload and how racial profiling is being prevented.
The partnership with an independent firm will, in part, help ensure that racial profiling doesn't occur, Nohe said.
County staff will also develop a community outreach program to educate the public on what the resolution does and doesn't do.
The board also authorized $525,000 for the police department to form a Criminal Alien Unit, consisting of six detectives and one crime analyst, who will enforce immigration law.
Police will also begin checking the legal status of people they stop in their routine duties, if they determine there is probable cause to do so.
The board recently transferred $900,000 in carry-over money to the police department to begin paying for the program that will cost $14.2 million over five years.
But state budget cuts reduced the police department's budget by $525,000, leaving the department with $325,000 to get the program started this fiscal year.
Prince William Chairman Corey A. Stewart, R-at large, has suggested taking this year's difference from the county's contingency fund which contains about $796,000.
While Stewart supports using money from the contingency fund, he would leave it to staff to find a way to support the new ordinance, saying illegal immigration was the "top priority of the board."
"They may take the money from the contingency fund, but we didn't require them to do that," he said.
The initial resolution would have had every county agency that dealt with the public checking for legal status before providing county services.
Under Stirrup's first proposal police would have been directed to determine the legal status of every person they stopped for violations of state law or county ordinance.
It also would have allowed anyone to sue the county government if they determined county employees weren't verifying legal status.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Officially passed but they need to secure long term financing
Prince William Passes Resolution on Illegal Immigrants
Last Edited: Wednesday, 17 Oct 2007, 7:53 AM EDT
Created: Wednesday, 17 Oct 2007, 5:00 AM EDT
WOODBRIDGE, Va. (AP) -- After 12 hours of meeting and hearing emotional testimony, Prince William County supervisors voted to move forward with their contentious measure to deny services to illegal immigrants.
They postponed the matter of how to secure long-term funding for the plan, which includes allowing police to check the residency status of anyone arrested in the county and improve cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
More than 1,200 people packed the county government complex in Woodbridge and the streets outside last night -- and about 400 signed up to address the supervisors during the public comment period.
As the meeting began, supporters and opponents of the measures scuffled in the street before police separated them.
Supervisors were supposed to vote on the restrictions two weeks ago, but put off the vote while they studied the county's budget situation.
-mn
Last Edited: Wednesday, 17 Oct 2007, 7:53 AM EDT
Created: Wednesday, 17 Oct 2007, 5:00 AM EDT
WOODBRIDGE, Va. (AP) -- After 12 hours of meeting and hearing emotional testimony, Prince William County supervisors voted to move forward with their contentious measure to deny services to illegal immigrants.
They postponed the matter of how to secure long-term funding for the plan, which includes allowing police to check the residency status of anyone arrested in the county and improve cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
More than 1,200 people packed the county government complex in Woodbridge and the streets outside last night -- and about 400 signed up to address the supervisors during the public comment period.
As the meeting began, supporters and opponents of the measures scuffled in the street before police separated them.
Supervisors were supposed to vote on the restrictions two weeks ago, but put off the vote while they studied the county's budget situation.
-mn
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Lawsuit
Lawsuit Filed Against Prince William Anti-Immigration Plan" Latinos in northern Virginia filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Prince William County in an attempt to halt the implementation of a resolution that aims to deny a wide range of public services to illegal immigrants.The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., and argues that enforcement of the measure passed by county lawmakers in July will subject immigrants in the United States legally to unnecessary government intrusion and will violate their right to equal protection under the law.The resolution allows local police to check the residency status of individuals they encounter, authorizes county employees to collect immigration data on people who seek public benefits and seeks to deny public services -- including housing assistance, drug rehab for jail inmates and senior programs -- to illegal immigrants."This ordinance, which expresses the worst instincts of a few in the county, is destroying the basic fabric of community life," said Cesar Perales, president of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. The group filed the lawsuit with the Washington law firm Howrey LLP and the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. It was filed on behalf of 21 plaintiffs ranging from U.S. citizens to undocumented residents and others with transitional status. The Woodbridge Workers Committee, which is considered by day laborers in the county as their official representative, is the 22nd plaintiff."Nowhere in the country have the courts upheld the right of counties to do what Prince William County is trying to do," Perales said.Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart said he believed the resolution would hold up in court."We carefully drafted the resolution and its implementation in anticipation of lawsuits, and we are confident that it will withstand this and any other legal challenge that might arise," he said.The resolution has placed Prince William County at the center of a debate on how to handle the region's growing immigrant population. Gov. Tim Kaine and other officials have criticized Congress for not doing enough to stop illegal immigration, which has prompted local jurisdictions to take the matter into their own hands.Earlier this month, Prince William supervisors unanimously approved the new police department policy. But they delayed authorizing an extra $2.5 million a year needed to implement it. A final vote on the service restrictions and funding is planned for Oct. 16.Perales expressed his concerns about how the measure already has seeped into many areas of everyday life: the concern about racial profiling by police when they choose whose residency status to check, the fear in the community of families being torn apart, and the detriment to legal residents, the county's economy and the divisiveness he believes it will cause between neighbors. He worried that children would grow to mistrust police if they perceived them as officials who could deport their parents."This is a horrible thing," Perales said. "This is a most un-American thing that has been perpetrated by the board of supervisors."
http://www.nbc4.com/politics/14310759/detail.html
-mn
http://www.nbc4.com/politics/14310759/detail.html
-mn
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Backlash
Group protests damaged sign
By KEITH WALKER
kwalker@manassasjm.com
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
 (Staff Photo) |
A man shouted "Go home!" from his pick-up truck window at people gathered by a damaged protest sign Monday on Liberty Street in Manassas.
Mexicans Without Borders, an immigrant rights organization, was protesting the partial destruction of the sign hanging on the one remaining wall of a demolished house.
Property owner Gaudencio Fernandez hung the sign roughly two weeks ago in response to the anti-illegal immigration resolution proposed by Prince William Supervisor John T. Stirrup, R- Gainesville this summer.
The board passed a part of the resolution last week that required police to check a person's legal status if they have probable cause to do so.
Fernandez said the sign was damaged between Saturday at about 8:15 p.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
Michael Betts stopped to watch the goings on.
"Basically we live in a society that has a lot of hatred," said the 50-year-old who works for Labor Finders, a day laborer staffing agency.
"I'm surprised it lasted so long," Betts said.
Prince William Chairman Corey A. Stewart said immigration "is an emotional topic" and hoped that people wouldn't "take matters into their own hands. It's not the right thing to do," he said.
Soon after Fernandez hung the sign, someone tried unsuccessfully to fire bomb it.
Ricardo Juarez-Nava, general coordinator of Mexicans Without Borders, said the destruction of the sign was a "symbol of the struggle and the conflict that we have in Prince William County."
Juarez also called the press conference to detail
today's work stoppage, community gathering and caravan across the county.
The work stoppage, which organizers are calling "PWC a Day Without Immigrants," is designed to show the positive economic impact immigrants have on Prince William County's economy, said Nancy Lyle of Mexicans Without Borders.
The organization also organized a boycott of non-Hispanic owned businesses between Aug. 27 and Sept. 3 and a march and rally on Sept. 2.
Stewart welcomed the work stoppage, saying if people are here illegally they shouldn't be working at all.
"Now what they need to do is stop working for the rest of the year," he said.
The caravan starting from the Prince William County Stadium Complex through the county's main streets at 3 p.m. will be followed by a mass gathering at the Sean T. Connaughton Plaza at 5 p.m.
The caravan will travel from the stadium complex to Va. 234 via Prince William Parkway and take Va. 234 to the eastern end of Prince William Parkway by U.S. 1 and return to the stadium complex.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Wrok Cited Sarah I
Work Cited
Altamiroano, Natasha "Country's Alien Crackdown May Spread To Others Areas: Prince William Requires Immigration Check." Washington Times 13 July 2007. Late Ed: B01. LexisNexis Academic. George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 30th Sept. 2007.
Altamiroano, Natasha “Prince William to Check Immigration Status; Policy to Affect Arrests, Services” Washington Times 11 July 2007. Late Ed. A01. LexisNexis Academic. George Mason University, Fairfax, 30th Sept. 2007.
Craig, Tim “Immigration Detention Center Proposed in VA” Washington Post 26 Sept. 2007. Late Ed: B01. 1 Oct. 2007.
Deane T. Charlie ‘Remarks by Chief Charlie T. Deane Regarding the Immigration Issue in Prince William County” 11 July 2007.
“Hounding Immigrants: In Prince William the Poisonous Fruit of Congressional Failure.” Washington Post 8 July 2007. Late Ed: B06 2 Oct 2007.
McLaughlin, Seth “Prince William Stalls Vote on Services to Illegal’s” Washington Times 2 Oct. 2007
Miroff, Mick “Citing Cost, Prince William Delays Immigration Measures” Washington Post 3 Oct 2007. Late Ed: A01. 2 Oct 2007.
Miroff, Mick “Prince William Pass Resolution Targeting Iegall Immigration: Stricter Aspects of Orginal Plan are Softened” Washington Post 11 July 2007 Late Ed: A01. 30 Sept. 2007
Turque, Bill “Latinos Join in Northern Virginia Thousands Denounce Immigration Measure at Prince William Rally” Washington Post 3 zSept 2007 Late Ed: B01 LexisNexis Academic. George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 30th Sept. 2007.
Altamiroano, Natasha "Country's Alien Crackdown May Spread To Others Areas: Prince William Requires Immigration Check." Washington Times 13 July 2007. Late Ed: B01. LexisNexis Academic. George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 30th Sept. 2007.
Altamiroano, Natasha “Prince William to Check Immigration Status; Policy to Affect Arrests, Services” Washington Times 11 July 2007. Late Ed. A01. LexisNexis Academic. George Mason University, Fairfax, 30th Sept. 2007.
Craig, Tim “Immigration Detention Center Proposed in VA” Washington Post 26 Sept. 2007. Late Ed: B01. 1 Oct. 2007.
Deane T. Charlie ‘Remarks by Chief Charlie T. Deane Regarding the Immigration Issue in Prince William County” 11 July 2007.
“Hounding Immigrants: In Prince William the Poisonous Fruit of Congressional Failure.” Washington Post 8 July 2007. Late Ed: B06 2 Oct 2007.
McLaughlin, Seth “Prince William Stalls Vote on Services to Illegal’s” Washington Times 2 Oct. 2007
Miroff, Mick “Citing Cost, Prince William Delays Immigration Measures” Washington Post 3 Oct 2007. Late Ed: A01. 2 Oct 2007.
Miroff, Mick “Prince William Pass Resolution Targeting Iegall Immigration: Stricter Aspects of Orginal Plan are Softened” Washington Post 11 July 2007 Late Ed: A01. 30 Sept. 2007
Turque, Bill “Latinos Join in Northern Virginia Thousands Denounce Immigration Measure at Prince William Rally” Washington Post 3 zSept 2007 Late Ed: B01 LexisNexis Academic. George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 30th Sept. 2007.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Part of Prince William Co. Illegal immigration Plan apporved
Prince William County supervisors voted in favor of a plan to have police begin checking the immigration status of people detained for everything from speeding to more serious crimes, but the vote on $14 million in funding over the next five years to implement the plan has been delayed.The board also delayed a vote on a resolution to deny county services to residents in the country illegally. Supervisors determined they needed more time to study the cost and unintended consequences of that resolution, News4's Julie Carey reported.
The supervisors put both the funding and the service restrictions on their agenda for Oct. 16 -- after a scheduled retreat at which the board is to receive an update on the county's financial picture."I'm confident that the rest of the board is going to be supportive on the 16th," said chairman Corey A. Stewart, a Republican and a strong supporter of the measures. "We may not get a unanimous vote but I'm pretty confident that I'm going to get all six Republicans on the (eight-member) board."Most of the supervisors, including Stewart, are up for re-election in November.Tuesday's meeting came a day after Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced $300 million in budget cuts, including some state aid to local governments. Prince William County expects to lose $575,000 in state aid for its police department.Some supervisors cited those cuts and said they needed more information on the county's financial picture before voting to fund the police policy, which officials said would require seven full-time employees to implement.Hilda M. Barg, a Democrat who represents Woodbridge, said she supported the police policy in general but had deep reservations about denying services."I think you saw us today saying, we're not so interested in this human services stuff, but we're interested in addressing the hardened criminals," she said after the vote.Federal law already denies undocumented immigrants many services provided at the local level, such as food stamps. Others, including public education, must be provided regardless of status.Prince William County thrust itself into the immigration debate in July, joining other local governments frustrated with a lack of federal action. Supervisors passed a resolution that instructed county staff to look into what services could be legally denied to illegal immigrants and directed the police chief to develop a policy for stepped-up immigration enforcement.Neighboring Loudoun County followed suit with a similar resolution and on Tuesday passed a range of anti-illegal immigration measures, though none that go as far as those Prince William has been considering.Critics say the proposals are a racist reaction to profound demographic changes. According to census estimates released last month, Prince William's Hispanic population has more than doubled since 2000, to nearly 70,000 last year. Non-Hispanic whites account for a little more than half of the population, down from about two-thirds in 2000.Hundreds of mostly Hispanic immigrants and immigration advocates showed up for Tuesday's meeting, as did a smaller contingent of anti-illegal immigration activists.The activist group Mexicans Without Borders delivered thousands of signed petitions asking supervisors to rescind the resolution."The spirit of the resolution is divisive," said Ricardo Juarez Nava, one of the group's leaders. "I ask you to see the human condition of all those people."Jayson Compton, a member of the anti-illegal immigration group Help Save Manassas, said the county's tight finances should not stop it from implementing the new policies. He suggested that illegal immigration would cost the county more in the long run."If we do nothing, we're going to be buried in red ink, in budget shortfalls," he told the board.
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