Manassas police to start checking immigration status

-----

Manassas to Check Arrestees' Immigration Status
Policy Mirrors Prince William's

By Jennifer Buske
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 2, 2008; Page PW03

A new immigration policy will take effect in Manassas next month as officials try to curb the number of illegal immigrants who commit crimes in the community.

Beginning Dec. 1, Manassas police will check the immigration status of anyone arrested in the city, Manassas Police Chief John J. Skinner told the City Council on Monday. The new "Immigration Enforcement General Order" policy is in line with Prince William County's plan and will be applicable to all sworn officers.

more

ICE Raid in Manassas Area

A few questions about the PWC ICE raid that occurred today. Were the owners or administrators of the company arrested? Have the families of those detained been advised of their where abouts? Or will these men disappear for a few weeks or months until the ICE bureaucracy catches up with it's paperwork?

I have mentioned this before - if Obama or Clinton are really serious about Latino voters, they should promise to stop the raids. At the least they should offer hope that people who are arrested will be able to contact their families in addition to obtaining legal representation. Obama and Clinton have said that the U.S. needs fair immigration reform, why can't they go further and make promises that will convince Latinos they would be leaders of "all" the people?
---

Immigration Agency Arrests 34 Workers At Construction Firm

By N.C. Aizenman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 25, 2008; B05

Federal immigration authorities converged on a Prince William County construction company just before sunrise yesterday, arresting 34 Latin American nationals for being in the country illegally.

Workplace raids are rare in the Washington area, and the roundup at CMC Concrete Construction in the Manassas area appears to be the largest in the region in nearly two years, according to a review of news releases on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Web site.

The workers -- who come from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica and El Salvador -- are being charged administratively and are in ICE custody undergoing deportation proceedings, said Ernestine Fobbs, a spokeswoman for the customs agency.

News of the arrests spread quickly through an immigrant community already on edge after a county law took effect this month allowing Prince William police to check the immigration status of people stopped for other infractions.

Fobbs said the agency had executed two search warrants in connection with the operation. Because those warrants were under seal, Fobbs said, she could not discuss how or why the company had drawn federal attention, nor confirm that CMC Concrete Construction was the agency's target.

James Rybicki, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said no employers had been charged. But he added, "Obviously, we'll be reviewing the case for possible criminal charges."

Public records identify Felisberto J. Magalhaes as the president of CMC and Maria Brandao Magalhaes as its secretary and treasurer. A relative of the owners who entered the company's administrative suite in a Manassas office complex yesterday afternoon to meet with several ICE agents declined to comment.

A few miles away, at a large lot where CMC workers come to pick up equipment before heading out to job sites each day, about a dozen remaining workers stood in groups discussing the morning's events.

A 32-year-old Mexican man, who asked that his name not be published for fear of retaliation from his bosses or the government, said he and three others had driven off the lot in one of the company's pickup trucks when they noticed a silver van behind them flashing police lights.

"We thought maybe we had run a light or there was something wrong with the plates -- we figured at worst we were going to get a traffic ticket," he said.

Instead, the man said, an armed immigration agent leaned in the window and demanded identification.

"Everyone grew very quiet. We were horribly sad, but more than anything, resigned," the man said.

He said agents were able to retrieve records demonstrating that CMC had successfully sponsored him for legal permanent residency years ago. But he said two colleagues in the truck had no such proof to offer and were handcuffed, along with five workers riding in a pickup behind them.

Minutes after the roadside detentions, other workers said, immigration agency vehicles entered the lot and more than a dozen agents fanned out in pursuit of several fleeing workers.

When the Mexican worker finally reached the lot, he learned that his younger brother was among those taken away.

"You feel so impotent, to see someone you know, who is just trying to work, go through this and to not be able to help him," he said.

for link to WP article click the title of this post

Not everyone is obsessed with stopping immigration

Maureen Wood, who ran unsuccessfuly for city council in Manassas, VA:
"I think some of the attention to illegal immigration has hurt us in the larger marketplace,"


Mark Wolfe, one of the winners, forgot to mention immigration in his speech at the Manassas GOP Assembly. He said he was embarrassed about the omission.


-----

Immigration Upstaged at Manassas GOP Assembly
Record 376 Delegates Elect Moderate Candidates Amid Concerns Over City's Reputation, Economy

By Nick Miroff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 31, 2008; PW01

Republicans in Manassas say the results of Saturday's nominating convention indicate that city residents are concerned with more than illegal immigration, which has defined local politics the past several years, and that they're looking for more moderate leaders to address the city's problems.

A record 376 delegates voted at the convention at Metz Middle School. Although Republican leaders did not disclose the final totals, the winners were part of a three-candidate slate formed by City Council members Steven S. Smith and Jonathan L. Way and newcomer Mark Wolfe. The two candidates who lost, Maureen Wood and Dave Core, are members of the anti-illegal immigrant group Help Save Manassas, an affiliation that made some delegates uneasy.

Wood and Core "are members of that group, and that turned me off to them," said Christine Finnie, a business owner and member of the city's Planning Commission, who voted for the Smith-Way-Wolfe bloc. "I think a lot of the people who turned out were looking for a more positive message."

The candidates were competing for three seats on the six-member council. Because no Democrats or independents have announced plans to run, the convention's outcome probably will determine the city's next government. Election Day is May 6.

Vice Mayor Harry J. "Hal" Parrish II, who ran unopposed, was nominated as the party's candidate for mayor.

"I thought they were well-balanced and that they would focus on all the issues facing the city with equal energy," said Richard Seraydarian, a retiree who voted for the three-candidate slate.

Like many, Seraydarian said he is worried about Manassas's reputation.

"A number of politicians, both in the county and in the city, have really been spreading a lot of fear lately and detracting from the image of the area as a good place to live," he said. In contrast, Smith, Way and Wolfe "had a positive approach to things."

In parsing the convention results, Help Save Manassas President Greg Letiecq blamed Parrish and "machine" politics for the defeat of Core and Wood, saying the city "has always been run by insiders."

"I'm certain that Hal's motivation is about personalities and personal relationships," Letiecq said. "I think Hal and some of the other members on the council want to deal with friends who share a more moderate political philosophy."

Parrish noted that he did not publicly endorse any candidate for City Council and that the convention's large turnout indicated a great deal of interest in the party's open nominating process. Although illegal immigration and crowding remain key issues for Manassas residents, Parrish said, "there are many other things this city needs to be cognizant about."

"We need to be thoughtful about taking action," he said. "But it's important that we not miss the ball because we're concentrating on one or two issues by themselves."

Delegates who backed Core and Wood disagreed with the characterization that they were single-issue candidates. "Illegal immigration affects so many things and crosses over many aspects of our lives," said Chris Pannell, a Help Save Manassas member who campaigned for Wood.

In recent years, Manassas has been a focal point in the illegal immigration debate. But the convention results suggested that concerns about quality-of-life issues and the city's economic health were also on residents' minds, matters Wolfe appealed to.

"I think some of the attention to illegal immigration has hurt us in the larger marketplace," Wolfe said, emphasizing his interest in prioritizing economic development and projecting a pro-business image.

To point, he didn't mention illegal immigration in his speech at the convention. He said it was an oversight. "I was embarrassed that I had forgotten to talk about it," said Wolfe, a businessman and local arts promoter.

Manassas Republican Chairman Tony Kostelecky said the high turnout at the convention was a sign that city residents will continue to look to his party for leadership.

"It suggests that citizens are very interested in the direction the city government is going to take," he said. Usually, "local politics is not the first thing on lots of folks' minds."

for link to article click the title of this post