Today the Prince William County Board of Supervisors will debate, and possibly vote on, Supervisor John Stirrup’s proposal to bar illegal immigrants from receiving most county services:
One Prince William County supervisor thinks that voting on John T. Stirrup’s immigration resolution today might be illegal.
Another wants to hear what the county attorney and police chief have to say, while one wants to hear from county residents before voting on the resolution that would require police officers to ask people their immigration status regardless of “national origin, ethnicity or race” when they stop them for any kind of violation.
Two support Stirrup unconditionally in the resolution that would also require the police department to train officers to enforce national immigration laws and turn illegal immigrants over to the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“I think that Stirrup’s proposal is going to make it very clear that if you’re illegal in Prince William, you either need to go back and become legal or face the consequences,” said Prince William Chairman Corey A. Stewart, R-at large.
Maureen S. Caddigan, R-Dumfries, called Stirrup “gutsy” for proposing the resolution in a board meeting two weeks ago.
Caddigan said the preponderance of calls to her office have been in support of the resolution.
Just based on a head count, it would seem that there are already enough votes to pass the proposal, but at least one Democrat has raised what may turn out to be the beginning of a legal challenge:
John D. Jenkins said at the very least the resolution that proposes to “amend the Prince William County Code” would have to be open to public comment before the board could vote on it.
“You have to advertise an ordinance for two weeks in a newspaper of general circulation. You have to advertise the public hearing for it at the same time, and you have to have a public hearing before you vote on an ordinance,” Jenkins said.
A memo to the board from the Prince William County Attorney’s Office backs up Jenkins’ opinion in saying, “To the extent that the proposed resolution seeks to amend the county code, that can only be accomplished, on a permanent basis, following the drafting of the proposed amendment(s) and a public hearing as required by law.”
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Jenkins also said that the county might not be able to enact the ordinance without the approval of the General Assembly.
Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, which provides that localities only have powers specifically delegated to them by the General Assembly.
So the board may not be able to vote on the resolution today.
The first problem is easily curable. The second, if it has merit, could be more difficult to deal with for supporters of Stirrup’s proposal.
July 12th, 2007 at 1:16 am
The immigration issue is being used as a cover up for racist and prejudice people like Stirrup. A majority of Stirrup’s supporters probably have the same mentality as he does and are a bunch of racist, bigot people. They (people like Stirrup) should walk around wearing their true colors, which is a white sheet. What they support to do is nothing less then a prejudice, racial act.
I am sure that many of this racist people have used the services of immigrants in one form or another. I am sure that they paid alot less money for the services they recieved without any guilt.
Like the saying goes “becareful what you ask for, you might get it”. If people that want all the illegal immigrants to go back where they came from, would just put aside their perjudice minds and think of the effects this would have on our country, I think they would change their mind.
Don’t forget that the majority of the terrorist have entered through the northern border, why aren’t Americans as concerned with the Canadian border as they are with the Mexican border, is it the color of the immigrants coming through?
I hope that one day this people realize how wrong their thinking is, and I hope that they never get treated the way that they are treating others that are unlike them.
David Briseno
Lead Transportation Security Officer
Department of Homeland Security
July 12th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Not taking away the fact of the need for a security border, one can easely notice the racist thinking and motive that is hidden behind these actions. Up to today, the Hispanic vote is making a difference and those servents (or oppresors)in public offices who have promoted this law will feel the consequences when they seek the Hispanic support.
July 14th, 2007 at 9:16 am
Immigration is such a controversial topic that has many racist undertones. I don’t see how cracking down on immigration will help the economy in Prince William county when you consider that every other business is run by Hispanics.
Hispanic residents planning on buying houses in PW will reconsider. An illegal immigrant will be less likely to come foreward if he or she knows about a crime. Women who are being battered will be affraid to call the police. DWI and DUI cases probably have gone up, yet that should not be used to categorize all Hispanics. Most of them are hard working.
I have experienced racial profiling even though I am a white. I used to have an old acura and was pulled over four times in Manassas without being given a ticket. Since getting a new car, I haven’t been stopped once. I highly doubt that the police will be cracking down on other, non-hispanic, immigrants.
Latinos in PW who are here illegally are here because they are unable to make a living in their country. They are not about to go back. If you send them home, they will return. This law encourages police officers to continue their already existent racial bias when pulling people over. Maybe it will help the county bring in revenues from citations, but fewer Latinos will leave their houses to spend money in the market.