Posted on 08/22/2007 6:41:34 AM PDT by chambley1
Fairfax - Calling Prince William County’s proposal on illegal immigrants political posturing and unworkable, Fairfax County Chairman Gerald Connolly fired back at Prince William County Chairman Corey Stewart this week over Stewart’s criticism of Fairfax’s handling of immigration issues.
Stewart said Fairfax County must take action for the region to effectively curb illegal immigration. Prince William passed a controversial resolution directing police to check the status of crime suspects when there is probable cause to believe they are illegal immigrants.
That approach, Connolly said, is hardly effective.
“What, pray tell, constitutes probable cause? Is it how someone looks? Is it their accent? Is it what they’re wearing?” he asked. “That sounds like profiling, and I don’t know how they’re going to get over that.”
Appearance and speech will not factor into immigration checks, Stewart said Tuesday.
“It must be done without racial profiling,” Stewart said. “The way we are going to do that is with a standardized probable cause that has nothing to do with race, ethnicity or language.”
Failure to produce a driver’s license during a criminal investigation may result in an automatic immigration check, for example, Stewart said.
Even if Prince William surmounts what Connolly calls “the hurdle of probable cause,” the problem remains of what to do with illegal immigrants when they are in custody, as jail overcrowding and limits on how many people can be deported are problems, he said.
The federal government has said 40 people is the most it can process each month, well below the number Prince William County administrators estimate they could deliver to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on a monthly basis.
Joining together will force ICE to adapt and expand federal enforcement efforts, Stewart said.
“It’s very difficult to get something done in Northern Virginia without the cooperation of Fairfax County,” he said, adding, “We’re going to address illegal immigration because it has become a serious threat to the quality of life in Prince William County.”
The Prince William County staff will present an update on the measure Sept. 18.
ping
Now if only someone can get Arlington County on board....
How about, if they don't have a Virginia Driver's License!
“He is certainly walking a fine line. Why else would SAIC have hired him?”
LOL!
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