Posted on 10/13/2006 7:09:31 AM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
WASHINGTON - Since making national news last year for the controversy surrounding its taxpayer-subsidized day laborer center, the tiny town of Herndon has done an abrupt about-face. In May, angry voters ousted Mayor Michael O’Reilly, who supported the center, an elected Steve DeBenedittis, who did not. Only two incumbents on the Herndon Town Council survived their wrath; five candidates publicly committed to reversing the town’s illegal immigrant policy were swept in with DeBenedittis.
The day labor center was founded by Muslim activist Mukit Hossain, whose office is located right next door to the International Institute of Islamic Thought, a think tank that was raided by federal agents after Sept. 11 and is now the subject of a grand jury investigation in Alexandria’s federal court. Hossain also has close ties to the Safa Group, a Herndon-based conglomerate of more than 100 interrelated businesses, think tanks and charities suspected of funneling money to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hamas and al-Qaida.
Just five months after their election, Herndon’s new leaders kept their promise. On Sept. 26, the Town Council voted 6 to 1 to send police officers to a five-week 287(g) training program with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that will allow them to process and detain illegal immigrants identified during criminal investigations. The training program was created by Congress in 1996, but Herndon is one of the first in the nation to take advantage of it. Officials in Manassas and Loudoun County are now considering doing likewise.
Opponents claim it will allow local police officers to round up people merely suspected of being here illegally, but what the training really does is enable them to keep felons and gang members who are in this country illegally — and also pose a significant threat to public safety — off Herndon’s streets until they can be deported. No more “catch and release.”
On Thursday, the Herndon Town Council went even further, approving a measure that requires applicants for business licenses to swear — under penalty of perjury — that they are U.S. citizens. The town manager will also have to start obeying a Virginia state law that forbids the hiring of illegal workers for large construction projects by extending the illegal hiring ban to subcontractors working on town contracts.
Last year, Herndon — population 23,000 — suddenly found itself at the epicenter of the national immigration debate. Herndon residents are not xenophobic; their town has the highest percentage of foreign-born residents in the Washington region. But it’s also where three of the Sept. 11 hijackers stayed the night before they flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon. So they’ve experienced firsthand the consequences of the nation’s experiment with uncontrolled immigration — and decided the problems outweigh the benefits. “The town has no issue with immigrants,” Vice Mayor Dennis Husch told WTOP Radio after the ICE vote. “The town has issues with illegal aliens.”
And unlike many policymakers in Washington, Herndon’s elected officials and residents apparently have no problem differentiating between the two. The town’s amazing transformation from a magnet for illegal aliens last year to a jurisdiction on the cutting edge of federal and local law enforcement efforts this year also proves that even on supposedly intractable issues like immigration, voters at the grassroots level really can make a difference.
Examiner
outside interests, eh??? They must have forgotten...It's not the outside interests that pull the lever in the voting booth...
And any outside interest involvment would be referring to the general public of the United States...That's the outside interest...
marking
No, the Herndon activists were definately not outsiders and deserve HUGE credit for what they accomplished. The only caveat I have is that turnout was light and I think the incumbents were complacent and did not take the Herndon Minutemen seriously. It won't be so easy to fly under the pro-illegal radar screen next time.
That's what happened in Gaithersburg last night. Our numbers and organization took them by surprise at the last City Council meeting, but now Casa de Maryland and other pro-illegal groups know we're out there and aren't to be taken lightly. So they bussed in dozens of day laborers with carefully rehearsed sob stories, brought translators, and grabbed all the seats at least an hour before the meeting started.
Ol' Asa has a lot of WSJ Republican in'm...
How far is Herndon from Gathersburg? I assume just a short drive but not sure of the geographics. That town in Maryland better get ready, because all of the people being pushed out of Herndon are not going back to Mexico, they will look for other communities nearby. If there is any magnet effect there such as a day labor center, you can be SURE the clergy/laity will get the word out in Spanish and you could see the community overrun there.
At rush hour it's about as far as Tokyo. Not sure about Gaithersburg, but Herndon has somewhat run-down townhouses and some crummy apartments that are almost all hispanic. Those weren't too far from the old day labor center. I doubt there will be much of a crackdown there, but maybe a few less illegal drivers around.
This might be like walloping groundhogs coming out of multiple holes in the ground for awhile. I guess they will just uproot and pack the 'sanctuario' cities instead.
Seven Corners is in Arlington, VA. I see on the traffic report a pedestrian was just hit there, nationality should be easy to guess. There's a Home Depot there, but I haven't been by in the AM to see if there are illegals. Right next door to the home depot is a mostly hispanic complex where a bus comes wednesday nights to pick up the folks going to church/bible study.
This is what is so great about being an American, the elected officials thought they were above the will of the people. They were wrong.
The day labor center was founded by Muslim activist Mukit Hossain. Hossain also has close ties to the Safa Group, a Herndon-based conglomerate of more than 100 interrelated businesses, think tanks and charities suspected of funneling money to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hamas and al-Qaida.
No wonder the people were so angry, I hadn't heard this part. I just remember having the big hoohaa and then the council decided to go ahead and build the center anyway. Things sure have changed in that town and they are changing all across America.
Bush/Rove, Wake Up Call!
I lived in Herndon for awhile in the late 60's. Then moved to Reston, which is right next door. Now live west of this area. Glad to see Herndon doing this. All communities need to do the same.
"Bush/Rove, Wake Up Call!"
They are pro illegal immigration. And they will not build any fence either.
I wish I could say I believe you are wrong. I can't. There's just too much evidence that supports your opinion.
I wish we could get that done here in Phoenix. We have the absolute WORST mayor and council in the country.
"I wish I could say I believe you are wrong. I can't. There's just too much evidence that supports your opinion."
I truly wish to heck I was wrong too! MAN, do I wish it!
One of the activists said as much, "We want Gaithersburg to be known as a welcoming place!"
BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.