Prince William to check immigration status

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

Prince William County officials voted unanimously last night to move forward with one of the toughest immigration policies in the country.

The eight-member Board of County Supervisors passed a resolution that requires police officers to ask about immigration status in all arrests if there is probable cause to believe that a suspect has violated federal immigration law. The resolution also requires county staff to verify a person's legal status before providing certain public services.

Board Chairman Corey A. Stewart, at-large Republican, commended his colleagues for "stepping up to the plate" and taking action on immigration enforcement when the federal government has failed to do so.

"We're going to do what we can," he said prior to the vote, which came after nearly four hours of impassioned testimony from people for and against the tough policies. "We know this is a federal issue, but I think the citizens have a right to expect that their local government and the state government are going to do whatever they can to address the problem."

The resolution, introduced last month by Supervisor John T. Stirrup Jr., Gainesville Republican, was amended before the meeting yesterday to clarify the circumstances under which county staff — including police — should ask about immigration status.

The resolution calls for the police department to establish standards of probable cause and methods by which officers can determine lawful presence, then report back to the board within 60 days.

"It gives us time to figure out some more of the details," county Police Chief Charlie T. Deane said.

The original resolution required officers to ask about immigration status in all arrests, "regardless of the person's national origin, ethnicity or race."

The resolution also was amended to allow the board to clarify which public services the county can deny illegal aliens. The resolution asks County Executive Craig S. Gerhart to schedule a work session with the board within 90 days to help identify three categories of public services: those mandated by federal or state law, regardless of immigration status; those prohibited by federal or state law to illegal aliens; and those for which the county might have the discretion to deny illegal aliens.

The resolution is not designed to deny "emergency medical care or any other public benefits mandated by federal or state law."