If you are undocumented, don't run a red light in Prince William County

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Arrest Data Add Fuel to Debate on Illegal Residents
Most Pr. William Cases for Minor Crimes
A Contrast in Crime Statistics

By Jonathan Mummolo
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 12, 2009; Page C01

About 2 percent of the people charged with major violent crimes in Prince William County last year were illegal immigrants, but they were arrested for a larger portion of secondary offenses, according to newly released statistics and a Washington Post analysis that offer the first comprehensive look at criminal activity since the county implemented its controversial anti-illegal immigration measures...

...George E. Tita, an associate professor of criminology, law and society at the University of California at Irvine, said the charges against illegal immigrants are, in part, due to their circumstance. They can't get driver's licenses and often can't get legitimate work, so arrests for prostitution and driving without a license are to be expected, he said.

"If you can't find a legitimate job, you're going to enter the underground economy," Tita said. "It's really easy to create some sort of moral panic or demonize some sort of group when you have a couple of high-profile murders. . . . . Illegal aliens are like the rest of us in the sense that there's a distribution. . . . There's a lot of good people, and then there are some people that are not so good." - link to complete article

Prince William County's Segregationist History

Image from Princeton University Press

Prince William County Virginia has been in a "racial stalemate"* for a long time, before Clinton, before the two Bushes, before Vietnam - back to 1959. That year PWC shut down its public schools in order to avoid the Supreme Court's rule on school desegregation. The shut down lasted for five years. The white kids went to private academies, but where did the black kids go to school?

Now that I have read Sara Fritz' op-ed piece I wonder why anyone in the world would want to move to PWC - I don't think that even South Africa schools have separate cheer leading squads anymore, but sure enough they still exist in Prince William County Virginia.

For all the Latinos in PWC, please consider moving to Houston. Our city is not perfect, but at least our public high school cheer leading squads are integrated.

In Virginia, a Small Town's Racial Lessons

Sunday, May 4, 2008; B08
Washington Post

Amid the controversy last week over the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's latest comments and his relationship with Sen. Barack Obama ["Obama Calls Minister's Comments 'Outrageous,' " front page, April 30], it might be useful to take a look at some of the racial politics we've had in our region. The tiny town of Farmville in Southside Virginia offers a rich case study in what Obama has called "the racial stalemate," the failure of black and white people to openly discuss their mutual resentments.

In 1959, Prince Edward County shut down its public schools for five years to resist the racial integration ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court. The white children went to a hastily organized private academy that was subsidized by the state government; the black kids were left to fend for themselves.

Today, blacks and whites in Prince Edward County still live racially isolated lives. The children of well-off white residents attend the private school established in 1959, leaving the predominantly black public schools starved for resources. The high school even has two cheerleading squads: one black, one white.

There has been precious little racial healing in Prince Edward County because white and black folks avoid discussing what happened there. None of the town fathers ever admitted the school shutdown was wrong. African Americans deprived of an adequate education continue to seethe with anger, passing it on to their children and grandchildren.

Obama, in his Philadelphia speech on race, called on Americans to participate in a genuine dialogue about racial attitudes. Conservatives dismissed his suggestion, comparing it to President Bill Clinton's now largely forgotten "national conversation on race" in the 1990s. Others saw it only as an effort to rescue Obama's presidential bid.

Yet even in Farmville, there is evidence that Obama's proposed remedy can work. For more than a year, members of the Prince Edward Dialogue for Reconciliation -- both black and white -- have been meeting monthly to openly discuss their prejudices with each other. It is the first time that any of them have talked about these issues in a biracial setting.

The results are remarkable. Despite some bitter exchanges, members of the group have developed strong personal bonds. Their most healing conversation came the night they were asked to recall a time of suffering in their lives. While the black men and woman mourned the loss of their life's potential for lack of education, whites acknowledged the town's tragic history had left them with feelings of loss and guilt. In such moments, blacks and whites recognize their common humanity.

Two weeks ago, the process expanded when the community's black and white pastors came together for the first time to discuss how they can assist racial reconciliation. When they meet again on May 17, they will discuss new ways to bring their congregations together.

Social science supports this approach. Two Smith College professors, Joshua Miller and Susan Donner, published a study showing that well-run small group racial dialogues offer perhaps the best alternative for improving race relations. They concluded: "If the talk is genuine talk, informed talk and persistent talk, it will identify the waste, cost, evil and tragedy of institutional racism."

Building racial trust does not require an expensive national program. It can be accomplished in small, voluntary gatherings hosted by local churches, schools and civic groups. But we must encourage open conversations about race. As we have seen recently in Farmville and in the presidential campaign, we can and we must try to end "the racial stalemate."

-- Sara Fritz

Washington

The writer, a Washington journalist, is working on a book about the racial history of Prince Edward County.

*racial stalemate, a term used by Barack Obama

An Immigration policy bandit in Prince William County

No diplomacy - only warfare

Prince William County Virginia's Supervisor Chairman Corey Stewart is being ridiculed for publicly admonishing the county's Sheriff for speaking to the Mexican Consul about immigration issues. As time passes, the reputation of PWC Virginia is slipping as Stewart makes the place look like a war mongering xenophobist haven.


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Immigration Fight Has New Target
Stewart Is Hurting Pr. William's Prospects With Rhetoric, Some Say

By Kristen Mack
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 20, 2008; C01

When Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart dressed down the police chief for hosting a public meeting with the Mexican consul to discuss the county's controversial immigration policy, Elena Schlossberg-Kunkel was appalled.

Schlossberg-Kunkel, a Haymarket activist who had supported Stewart since 2006, and several other county residents showed up at a recent board meeting and demanded Stewart apologize to Chief Charlie T. Deane. Her voice pleading, Schlossberg-Kunkel admonished Stewart for his harsh rhetoric on immigration, which she said threatened to ruin the county's reputation.

"You were in my home for a fundraiser. I felt like I knew you," she said. "I don't know the person you are anymore, Corey."

She is not alone in her concern. Elected officials and business leaders in Prince William say they are worried that the county's focus on illegal immigration is hurting Prince William's image at a critical time in its growth and effort to remake itself.

Virginia's second-largest county had been known for years as a center of cheap housing and bargain shopping. But in recent years, Prince William leaders have tried to change course by attracting high-tech employers, building luxury homes and supporting good schools much as neighboring Loudoun and Fairfax counties have done.

Now, several supervisors in both parties and business leaders said, those efforts could be set back if county officials do not shift their focus from illegal immigration, which has divided the community and brought Prince William negative national exposure. ("The Road to Dystopia," one newspaper said of the crackdown.)

After a bitter, months-long debate, the eight-member board voted unanimously in the fall to increase law enforcement and deny some services to illegal immigrants. Although no one wants to repeal the policy, some supervisors and other officials said they wish the county -- especially Stewart -- would stop dwelling on it.

County business leaders have created "image committees" to examine the direction Prince William is heading. Now, some analysts said, the economic downturn makes it a bad time to carry out the immigration measures.

"It undermines the image of the county as a good place to invest," said Stephen Fuller, director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University. "The political environment has made people feel unwelcome."

Richard L. Hendershot, who chairs the Prince William County Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce, said it has been hard to sell Prince William as progressive, dynamic and thriving.

"There's been a challenge. The only way that we can counteract the image, and I'd say it is a false image, is to continue to look for opportunities to share the positive messages of the county," he said. "There's clearly been some controversy over the immigration stance that the board of supervisors has taken."

Many blame Stewart (R), who put the county on the map nationally for its tough approach on illegal immigration. As the top elected official, Stewart is the most visible face of the county and nominally its biggest cheerleader. But his colleagues and some residents are starting to question his leadership.

Stewart stunned Deane, the longtime county police chief, when he accused the chief of overstepping his authority in setting up a public meeting with the Mexican consul to discuss the immigration policy. Stewart said the Mexican government was not part of the Prince William community, but Deane said he was just trying to build trust among immigrants fearful about police conduct...

for complete WP article click here

Prince William County: be careful what you ask for

As previously mentioned by dreamacttexas, if anti-immigrationists want undocumented people to leave, then why are they putting so many in jail - which effectively means they will stay in the U.S.?

Perhaps our readers have some ideas as to what this is about.

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Detainee Program Strains Va. Jail
Pr. William Cites Delays by ICE

By Nick Miroff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 8, 2008; A01

A highly touted partnership between the Prince William County jail and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is showing signs of strain, as crowding at the facility has hit an all-time high and federal agents are taking weeks -- not the agreed-upon 72 hours -- to pick up illegal immigrant suspects, jail officials said.

Letters sent recently by Prince William jail board Chairman Patrick J. Hurd to Julie L. Myers, head of ICE, and top officials in Prince William and Manassas said that jail workers are "at or close to their limit" as a result of new local policies that require residency checks of inmates suspected of being in the country illegally. Jail employees with immigration training are working 60 hours a week, Hurd said, and the facility is spending $220,000 a month to house a growing number of inmates elsewhere in the state.

"Something's got to change," Hurd said. "We're worried about the impact on our staff."

The unanticipated expense comes as county officials wrangle over budget shortfalls, tax increases and the additional costs of tighter immigration enforcement by its police department, which, like the jail, has a partnership with ICE through a program known as 287(g).

Under the federal program, participating jurisdictions can deputize local law enforcement officials to receive training and assist ICE in processing illegal immigrants. The local officers investigate suspects who they think are illegal immigrants, working with the federal agency to increase arrests and expedite the deportation process.

The program has become popular with elected officials whose constituents have been demanding tougher action on illegal immigration. Since 2005, the number of state and local agencies participating in 287(g) nationwide has increased from four to 47, including the Prince William jail and the police departments in Prince William, Manassas and Herndon.

But cracks in the agency's partnership with the jail suggest that federal authorities are struggling to fulfill their commitments. In Prince William, ICE agents are supposed to retrieve suspected illegal immigrants from the jail within 72 hours of their scheduled release from county custody, under the agreement that went into effect in July. Instead, Hurd says, inmates are waiting as long as four weeks, and the already-crowded jail is spending $3 million a year in additional transportation and processing costs.

Hurd's calculations do not include the potential impact of the Prince William police policy implemented March 1, which directs patrol officers to investigate a crime suspect's residency status if they think the person is an illegal immigrant. People detained for traffic violations or other minor offenses might wait weeks for federal removal.

In an e-mail, ICE spokeswoman Ernestine Fobbs said the agency met with jail officials Thursday and pledged to beef up its commitment.

"Both parties recognized that due to the dramatic increase in the number of aliens being sent to ICE beyond the originally projected caseload, that closer coordination would be required," Fobbs said. "Both agencies will continue to work together to facilitate a more expedient way to transition aliens." The agencies will begin meeting monthly "to assess any adjustments that need to be made," she said.

Since the partnership started, the jail has processed about 13,000 suspects, superintendent Col. Peter A. Meletis said. Officers have conducted checks on 1,199 inmates, 632 of whom were wanted by ICE.

The federal agency compensates the jail for holding its suspects, but those who are also charged with state or local crimes must serve out their sentences before they can be transferred to ICE for possible deportation. Another factor driving costs is that inmates who face local charges who might have been released on bond are being held for ICE. The jail picks up the bill.

Meletis said he had not calculated what that extra cost would be. "I'm sure there are people in that category, but I don't know how many," he said.

Capacity at the facility -- due to expand by 200 beds in November-- was a problem before the ICE partnership started. The two main jail facilities are rated by the state's Board of Corrections as having space for 402 inmates, but in February, the buildings held an average of 664 inmates a day. An additional 275 inmates were sent to facilities elsewhere in Virginia at a daily cost of $38 to $50 per inmate.

The crowding has resulted in a pricey process in which inmates are juggled between facilities according to bed space, court obligations and other factors. Lawyers and inmates' families said the partnership is also allowing illegal immigrant suspects to stay in Prince William while legal residents are shipped elsewhere.

Manassas resident Angie Walls said her 23-year-old son was abruptly transferred to a facility in Staunton soon after he began serving a three-month sentence for a home burglary Feb. 28 -- and not long after she had deposited money into his commissary account at the Prince William jail. She set up an account for him in Staunton, but he was transferred back to Prince William before the money arrived. She's now trying to figure out if he'll be moved again.

"Nobody can give me an answer," she said, requesting that her son's name be withheld lest he face retaliation. "I can't wait until this is over."

In his letters to Myers of ICE, Hurd, the jail board chairman, said the agency's failure to promptly remove inmates was "unacceptable" and could no longer continue. He offered three remedies: that ICE establish a designated weekday when it will retrieve inmates, that jail workers limit residency checks to more serious criminals or that the jail disregard ICE detaining orders and release suspects after 48 hours if they have no outstanding local charges.

Meletis said that his employees have been checking everyone whom they suspect is an illegal immigrant and that they would have to get permission from the jail board to scale back that approach. But they prefer that ICE meet the terms of its agreement with the jail.

"I think they want to fix the problem," Meletis said. "They've told me they lack bed space to put people in."

for link to WP article click the title of this post

PWC Virginia Police Chief makes his own decisions about meeting with Mexican Consul

Police Chief Charlie T. Deane, Prince William County Virginia



The police chief of Prince William County Virginia has let everyone know that he is not in agreement with the virulent anti-immigrationists in his county.

His actions remind us that there are always a few people who are rational and reasonable about immigration policy in places like PWC Virignia.

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Police Chief to Brief Board on Immigrant Policy
Meeting Comes After He Declined to Follow Chairman's Request Not to Meet With Mexican Consul

By Kristen Mack
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 30, 2008; PW01

Police Chief Charlie T. Deane's appearance before the Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday could get heated, following a dust-up last week with Chairman Corey A. Stewart.

Deane is scheduled to give the board an update on the first month of police enforcement of laws directed at detaining illegal immigrants. But his briefing comes after Stewart (R-At Large) tried to prevent Deane from having an informational community meeting with Mexican Consul General Enrique Escorza.

Deane had the meeting Thursday over Stewart's objections, saying that the board had directed him to reach out to the community as police officers begin checking the citizenship status of criminal suspects they believe may be in the country illegally. He said the meeting was one of many he has had to clear up misinformation and to quell fears about the scope of the county's illegal immigration policies.

An advance copy of the chief's Tuesday presentation on the first month of enforcement was light on details. Deane was unavailable for comment Friday.

"He will have specific numbers on Tuesday," Assistant County Executive Susan L. Roltsch said. "He prefers to save that discussion for the board."

Several board members have come to Deane's defense since Stewart's questioning of the chief last week over the meeting with the Mexican consul.

Supervisor Maureen S. Caddigan (R-Dumfries) said Deane has the support of a majority of the board.

"Our chief is doing what we asked him to do. He's communicating with the people and keeping us out of a lawsuit," Caddigan said. "Stewart does not have the authority he thinks he has as chairman. He needs to concur with the board before sending out directives."

Stewart acknowledged he does not have the authority to issue a directive on his own...

for link to complete WP article click the title of this post

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?
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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

We don't know how it feels to be undocumented

Undocumented people in Prince William County Virginia have seen their environment turn hateful. People are rude who were courteous a few months ago. The recent anti-immigration laws - and continuing xenophobic rhetoric are making it almost impossible for immigrants to live there.

There are very few people in the U.S. that live day by day wondering if ICE will come by. This is one of those situations that is impossible to imagine if you are not at risk yourself.


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The Frustration of Being Illegal
Prince William Political Climate Adds to Deportation Fear

By Marcela Sanchez
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, February 11, 2008; B05

Celia Llanes came to the United States 4 1/2 years ago with typical immigrant aspirations. She hoped to provide for her family, earn enough to buy a patch of land back home and perhaps take her girls to Disney World. Today, her wish is far simpler: that when she is deported her girls will be deported with her.

"I am waiting for immigration," she says with a matter-of-fact tone. She has begun sending some of her more valued belongings (such as a set of Royal Prestige pots she paid for in installments) to Guatemala because, she says, "they don't let you take anything."

As the anti-illegal-immigration backlash grew last year in Prince William County, where Llanes lives, the 32-year-old Manassas resident said she started to feel the world around her change. She said supermarket cashiers suddenly grew annoyed and acted as if they didn't understand her. She said her girls told her, "Mami, las maestras prefieren a los Americanos." ("The teachers prefer the Americans.")

Prince William county supervisors voted in October to enact some of the region's toughest policies against illegal immigrants, including the use of police to enforce immigration laws. Llanes says the new measures have become such a source of personal anxiety that she is convinced they are taking a toll on her health. She has sharp stomach pain apparently caused by gallstones, and her frequent headaches have gotten worse.

Llanes, her husband and their children don't venture far from home for fear of being stopped while driving without a license. In the summer, she did not take the girls to the neighborhood pool because she has heard of raids at public places. On Christmas, they only went to a brother-in-law's house nearby and did not stay long.

Llanes is resigned and, in a way, agrees with those anti-illegal-immigrant forces around her. As someone who entered the country illegally, she does not feel she is entitled to much.

"If they are going to take me away, let them; after all, this country is not ours," she often says.

These days, she most fears that she'll be alone when she is finally stopped and deported, just as she heard happened recently to a young man whose mother had sent him to buy shrimp at the local Global Food market. She can't bear the thought of leaving her girls behind. One separation "already cost me too much," she says.
Building a New Life

Llanes started her journey north in summer 2003. She left the girls in the care of a friend in Tecun Um¿n, near the Mexican border, telling them only that she was going to Mexico to visit one of her brothers in the hospital.

Indeed, her brother, who had been attacked by bandits with machetes in his first attempt to get to the United States, was a main incentive for Llanes to leave. She hoped to send him enough money so he could pay for a safer way north. She soon began also sending money, clothes and toys to the girls.

As daughter Yancy's fifth birthday was approaching, Llanes sent money for a cake. But it was that day, Oct. 4, 2005, when Hurricane Stan hit. Floods destroyed many homes and were responsible for the deaths of more than 1,500 people in Guatemala. Yancy later told her mother that she saw their few belongings -- and her cake -- floating away in the muddy waters.

It was then when Llanes and her husband decided to scrape together $12,000 to pay a smuggler to get the girls here.

At the time ages 3 through 11, the girls were arrested by U.S. authorities after crossing the border. Llanes left their youngest, born in Manassas, with her husband and boarded her first plane.

Two days before Thanksgiving 2005, Llanes sat nervously in a waiting room of an immigration office in Phoenix. Suddenly agents surrounded her, and one asked the girls, who had just walked in the room, if they knew who she was.

"They ran and hugged me saying 'mami,' " Llanes recalls through tears. It had been almost 2 1/2 years since she had seen them.
An Unfavorable Change

Llanes was allowed to stay with the girls in the country. At one point she consulted immigration advocates in Washington to explore their legal options but dropped the idea once she was told how much it would cost.

Despite "backbreaking" jobs, they've never had money to spare. On top of the political climate, they've been badly hurt economically. The housing crisis, which hit Prince William particularly hard, has meant much less work for construction workers such as Llanes's husband.

What's more, the four-bedroom brick rambler she and her family share with relatives is soon to be repossessed by the bank. A friend who bought it for nearly half a million dollars last year can no longer pay the mortgage.

Llanes, who had no education except for the few months at age 13 when a relative took her in and sent her to school, inculcates in the girls the importance of taking advantage of their opportunity to study and learn English. "I wish I [had] that opportunity," she tells them.

Llanes makes about $25 every weekday taking care of friends' children, and from Friday through Sunday earns $6.60 an hour making tacos. That money covers most of their food expenses, she says.

"With the situation as it is, I want to leave," she said.

She says her girls and the other children she cares for provide a welcome distraction. Still, she recalls a Spanish expression: "caras vemos, corazones no sabemos" (faces we see, hearts we don't know) to explain that she carries her share of anguish. Or as she put it, "only God knows how one is feeling inside."

for link to article click the title of this post

God is speaking to Prince William County

While the Washington Post does not identify the 50 religious leaders who sent the letter to PWC's elected officials calling them to task on the recent anti-immigrant laws - I still cannot imagine anyone saying that a group of clergy are "illegitimate." (as did Corey Stewart, chairman of the board of county supervisors) -

Sounds like a projection - especially since the new laws in PWC would probably be judged illegitimate in a federal court.

"Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large), chairman of the board of county supervisors, called the group illegitimate and misguided."

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Pr. William Religious Leaders Say Crackdown Is Divisive

By Kristen Mack
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 3, 2008; C07

More than 50 religious leaders have sent a letter to Prince William County's elected officials saying the county's illegal-immigration crackdown has divided the community and created an "unwelcoming spirit."

The 58 leaders of Prince William congregations who signed the letter offered to "work constructively" with county officials and urged them to respond to public concern with legislation that upholds "the dignity and rights of all people."

"It's an invitation to elected officials to be part of a greater conversation," said the Rev. Jeff Carter of the Manassas Church of the Brethren. "It's an offer for some help in mediating and moderating this dialogue."

Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large), chairman of the board of county supervisors, called the group illegitimate and misguided.

"We don't need them as an intermediary," he said. "They need to do what they do best: serve their congregants and attend to their denominations and not get involved in partisan politics."

The religious leaders have been meeting since September, a month before supervisors approved a resolution to increase police enforcement of immigration laws and deny some services to undocumented immigrants. The group, which represents 25 houses of worship and 10 denominations, spent several months crafting a collaborative response.

The leaders sent the letter to county supervisors and members of the Manassas and Manassas Park city councils last week.

"The debate continues to focus on broad fears and assumptions concerning the complex issue of immigration and is made even more complex by less tangible aspects such as racial differences, community identity, and unrealistic assumptions pertaining to the reach of current immigration laws," the letter says.

It cites Scripture, which the leaders say should guide the way people live. One passage from Leviticus, in the Old Testament, says: "When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you; you shall love the alien as yourself."

Carter said the group has not heard back from county officials. Stewart said he doesn't intend to respond.

"They need to think this through more carefully. Tolerance of illegal activity is not a virtue," Stewart said. "If anyone is dividing the community, it is illegal immigrants. We are simply enforcing the law."

If a conversation needs to be had, Stewart said, it is between elected officials and the Latino community.

Carter would not comment on the resolution specifically. Instead, he focused on the atmosphere the resolution has created.

"We wanted to think creatively how the religious community could be of help," he said. "It's a first step. We'd like to be part of a solution to bring healing to our community."

Tomorrow, the seven officers with the county's new Criminal Alien Unit will start four weeks of training in federal immigration law in Frederick. The county board is scheduled to receive an update Tuesday on the implementation of federal immigration laws at its adult detention center. Police Chief Charlie T. Deane also is scheduled to brief the board.



for link to article click the title of this post

image: http://biblia.com/christianity2/god-creator29g.jpg

Eric Byler on Irrationality in Prince William County Virginia

Eric Byler

My Heart is Where the Bottles Shatter
By Eric Byler
Sunday, December 16, 2007; Page B04
Washington Post

The most powerful elected official in Prince William County is introduced to a standing ovation. The first time I see him is through a camera lens, entering like the hero of a movie I am watching rather than making.

My team and I are the only people of color in a large auditorium at Stonewall Middle School in Manassas. "People who come to this country illegally are illegal!" Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart thunders, jabbing his finger in the air.

The lens is a glass wall. I am focused but detached. I hear a woman cackling with joy as an officer from a group called Help Save Manassas takes credit for Latino parents' being afraid to send their children to school, for Latino families' abandoning their mortgages and fleeing the county. "This is our territory," he boasts. "And we're gonna take it back."

More clapping, more cheers. I process these moments like a child observing a bully from a distance. The victim is over there, not here, and I am just a witness. Zoom in. Zoom out.

Weeks later, it is a beautiful September afternoon. A canvas sign is tethered to the last remaining wall of the house at 9500 Liberty St. "When our brothers & sons are fighting & dying in Iraq you are separating our families," part of the giant sign says. These and other words have enraged many of the town's Caucasian residents, but these Latino families are proud to stand in its shadow. They feel they are standing up to bullies.

Known as Liberty Wall, this sign has become the expression of protest for many in Prince William County. Even non-ethnic citizens are concerned about a new law that could lead to the racial profiling of people who "look illegal." The families around the wall look American to me, but maybe I'm not a proper judge. My mother is Chinese American and my father is white. I grew up in Virginia, in a time when Asians and Latinos were less common than Cowboys fans, but since then I've frequented more cosmopolitan places such as Los Angeles, Honolulu and New York, places like Virginia is becoming.



My headphones pick up a stray voice. I turn and see a man standing at the fence enclosing Liberty Wall. He screams at everyone he sees, accusing them of being "illegal," even though they are documented Americans. He points at a 12-year-old boy, suggesting that he is destined for "one of those gangs," and looms over the boy's younger sister, who defiantly says, "I speak English fine." Both children hold their ground, hardened perhaps by epithets, eggs and bottles that have been thrown at them, or by "messages" left on their property, riddled with profanity, obscene drawings and racial slurs, telling their community to "go home" and reminding them that America's founders were white.

The next night, a vandal tries to burn down Liberty Wall. Soon after, another will succeed in destroying the sign, ripping it to shreds.

These are the questions facing our society. Who is American? And who gets to speak? I am reintroduced to the Chinese American boy I was in 1981 at Kings Park Elementary. I hear the word "chink." I see my classmates tugging at their eyes.

The bullies are not as distant as I remembered them. I may see the world through a lens, but my eyes are open, and my heart is where the bottles shatter, on the Liberty side of the fence.

eric@9500liberty.com


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/14/AR2007121401326.html
photo: http://a722.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/00795/12/71/795921721_m.jpg

A Comment on Immigration From 9500 Liberty Project Filmmaker

Annabel Park, Filmmaker, 9500 Liberty Project













For those of you in Houston, did you know that the name of country station KIKK is a spin off from the acronym of the Ku Klux Klan? Annabel Park, who lived in Houston in the 1980s tells us there is more than country music in the station's name.

I Can Relate to America's Identity Crisis
By Annabel Park
Sunday, December 16, 2007; Page B04
Washington Post

When I was growing up in Korea, being told that you were going to America was like being told that you were going to heaven. In 1978, my family applied to immigrate to the United States from South Korea. After only a six-month wait, the application was approved, and as if by magic, the five of us were transported to Houston to live with my aunt's family. I was 9 years old.

My parents were not skilled. But within a matter of weeks, they were selling tacos and burgers to mostly Mexican workers living and working in downtown Houston.

Neither my parents nor their customers could speak English. Somehow they found a way of communicating their basic needs: exchanging money, feeding and being fed. The Mexicans loved our tacos, and my parents succeeded in their first U.S. business venture.

I was in awe of America and wanted desperately to fit in, but I was constantly reminded that I was a foreigner, told to go home, ordered to learn English and called racial slurs. I didn't understand the significance at the time, but I remember large billboards along the highways that seemed to read, "You're in KKK Land." When you got closer, you could see a little "i" that looked like a cowboy boot between the first and second K's; the billboard was actually advertising a country-music radio station, KIKK.

My insecurity about being foreign, not fitting in, not really being perceived as American, has been a constant in my search for my identity. But alongside these insecurities sits my childhood romance with America, which my friends who had the privilege of being born here don't quite understand.

Since Eric and I began documenting the fight over immigration in Prince William County, I've been forced to reflect on my own immigration experience and about what America is.



Once, a white man approached us while we were filming a group of Latino people in front of a pro-immigration sign. A chain-link fence separated him from us, but I reached across to shake his hand and introduce myself. His grip was so tight that it frightened me. He squeezed my hand while denouncing "these people" for "raping the land," as opposed to the Vietnamese and Koreans, who had learned to speak English and assimilated.

Eric captured this scene and put it up for the world to see on YouTube. Many people watching the video see a white racist; I see a man suffering from an identity crisis, feeling displaced in his neighborhood. He is nervous, anxious, the flip side of my own insecurity as an immigrant, and I feel a lot of compassion for him.

I want to say to the man at the fence, and to the immigrants gathered at Liberty Wall: We're in this together. Much as my parents found a way to communicate with their customers at their Houston carryout, so too can we overcome any differences in language and values -- and find a way to live and work together.

But people did not come together in Prince William County. The county supervisors passed the illegal-immigration resolution. I believe the process was not democratic. One organized interest group dominated it by bullying, spreading misinformation and inciting intolerance.

America is not just a country, not just a particular place in space and time, but a promise to live according to our highest ideals. If we succumb to intolerance and fear now, at this critical time in America's story, we will all have failed.

annabel@9500liberty.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/14/AR2007121401330.html
photo: http://www.koamco.org/images/annabel2_shb9.png

The Bullies in Prince William County

Was this Chris Royse as a child?






The attempt to get votes is turning into a messy, vulger brawl in Virginia. An editorial in the Washington Post tells us:

"Chris A. Royse, a candidate for supervisor in Prince William, who suggests that county residents would beat up any Mexican officials who might come to inquire about the well-being of immigrants in the county"

The WP suggests that voters pressure the federal govt. into passing comprehensive immigration reform. Unfortunately, as long as lawmakers cave in to the people who send those 1,000 emails and faxes per day - they really are not representing the voters. Maybe those who sent the 1,000 are only 10 people working for the Minute Men?

The GOP is going to need a lot more than a Hail Mary once American society realizes what the Republicans are doing. Hate doesn't bring anything positive.



-----
Virginia Votes
And the GOP throws a Hail Mary on illegal immigration.
Washington Post
Sunday, November 4, 2007; B06

ANXIOUS ABOUT an unpopular president and an electorate trending Democratic, Northern Virginia Republicans devised a Hail Mary strategy in the summer in hopes of averting an electoral rout. In races for state and local offices this fall, they would focus relentlessly on illegal immigration, a festering problem that the federal government has failed to address. And they would do so with little regard for the real-world constraints of state and local officials to address a problem of national scope.

The result has been an unsightly, dispiriting campaign in which GOP candidates, with a few exceptions, have competed -- with Democrats and with each other -- to appear tougher, rougher, meaner and more testosterone-fueled on the subject of illegal immigrants.

The rhetorical excess has gone beyond the now commonplace demand that state universities be purged of illegal immigrants -- this, despite a paucity of evidence that many or any are enrolled. Now there is state Del. Jeffrey Frederick of Prince William County, who proposes to deny all state aid to any locality that would provide services to undocumented aliens. There is Chris A. Royse, a candidate for supervisor in Prince William, who suggests that county residents would beat up any Mexican officials who might come to inquire about the well-being of immigrants in the county. And there is Faisal M. Gill, a candidate for delegate in Prince William, who would embrace a zero-tolerance policy for illegal immigrants; never mind that the law firm in which he is a name partner solicits business from clients facing deportation.

These candidates and others who are talking about the problem more responsibly are not inventing an issue from whole cloth. Many of them seek to represent constituents legitimately worried that boardinghouses, unkempt lawns, impromptu day-labor gatherings and crime pose a threat to their neighborhoods, schools and property values. Many of them are understandably offended by lawbreaking and the federal government's failure to enforce its laws. But on a local level, the right way -- and the effective way -- to tackle those problems is by tightening laws and beefing up code enforcement. It is not by preening and posturing and by pretending that local government has the wherewithal to initiate the deportation of every illegal immigrant arrested for littering; it doesn't.

In the course of this ugly crusade, many Republicans have tended to downplay the tough issues that they might really be able to do something about over time, including the shape and pace of growth; improvements for the region's sclerotic transportation network; and a deteriorating fiscal situation that calls for workable ideas. The campaign based on illegal immigration is the kind of trick that works, if it works at all, just once. Voters who don't already know will find out soon enough that there is a limit to what state and local officials can do about illegal immigration and that the best and only way to deal with the problem in a serious way is to force federal officials to tackle it comprehensively. Once that dawns on the electorate, and particularly on Northern Virginia Republicans, then perhaps they will get back to talking about problems within their power to resolve.

-----

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/03/AR2007110300889_pf.html

cartoon: http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/directory/b/bully.asp

Nativism on Film: 9500 Liberty Project

Annabel Park and Eric Byler are a few of many young people around the country who are producing films on immigration. Check out their website: http://9500liberty.blogspot.com/

Raw Look at Immigration Crucible
Pr. William Web Serial Aims to Foster a Deeper, More Civil Discourse

By Nick Miroff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 3, 2007; A01

In one video, a man furious about hearing Spanish at a hardware store berates a group of Latino families with a lecture on American history, telling them "my ancestors were here before the Constitution." A little girl shyly reminds him: "The Indians were here before the Americans."

In another clip, a woman asks county officials not to forget "who was responsible for 9/11 -- illegals," while a man tells them, "Don't confuse the 9/11 with the 7-Eleven. . . . The guys at the 7-Eleven just want to work."

Other scenes show worried, frustrated residents denouncing a "foreign invasion" and warning of "civil war," to which one scowling young man taunts: "Bring it."

The illegal-immigration clash that has consumed Prince William County neighborhoods and government halls is now showing up in serial form on YouTube, archived and freely available in all its raw intensity.

The footage, posted by local filmmakers Annabel Park and Eric Byler, is neither pretty nor polished. But the couple adds a chapter nearly every day, offering all sides a chance to be seen and heard, as well as a forum for well-mannered debate to those willing to engage in it.

Park and Byler describe their project as an interactive documentary that aims to defuse tensions and explore the complexity of the issue. Their clips are loaded with the unfiltered emotions that have flooded county streets and county politics, but the filmmakers allow the material to stand on its own, without narration or commentary. A more complete documentary might come later, they say, but for now their goal is to edit and upload the footage as fast as possible to their site, http://www.youtube.com/9500Liberty.

"What you normally do is shoot, then edit, then enter film festivals," said Byler, 35, a Gainesville resident. "On that trajectory, people would see this film for the first time next summer. That's a long time to wait. If the movie is meant to create dialogue, why release it after things may have already shifted?"

With little more than a basic video camera and laptop computers, Byler, Park and a third partner, Jeff Man, have spent the past few months filming Prince William's efforts to enact the region's toughest measures targeting illegal immigrants. Before the county supervisors voted last week to cut off certain services to illegal immigrants and increase immigration enforcement by the police, Byler and Park recorded the session of emotional public testimony, which lasted more than 12 hours.

Excerpts of the testimony have been posted in installments on their site, along with their most-viewed clip, set at the so-called Liberty Wall in Manassas, which has been viewed more than 38,000 times.

The five-minute video tracks the fate of a large banner in Manassas that reads "Stop Your Racism to Hispanics" and hangs from the last wall of a recently demolished house at 9500 Liberty St. -- "at the intersection of Liberty and Prince William Street," the filmmakers note. The banner has been a symbol of the county's tension, as well as a target for it, having survived a dud Molotov cocktail attack only to later be ripped in half by vandals.

"People are writing to us and saying, 'What can we do?' " Park said. "They want to get involved."

Park, 39, was born in Korea but grew up in Houston and Rockville. Before Prince William became a flashpoint for the nation's immigration debate, she led a successful campaign for a U.S. House resolution urging Japan to apologize for the sexual enslavement of "comfort women" during World War II.

Since then, Park said she has declined several job offers from lobbying groups, opting instead to follow Prince William's rocky effort to rid its communities of illegal immigrants. Park said she and Byler, as Asian Americans, are able to bridge the conflict's undercurrent of antagonism between whites and Hispanics.

"We went into this feeling it was about election-year politics and racism," she said. "But the more we learn about it, the more we see how multifaceted it is."

In one video viewed 26,000 times in its first week, a group of Latino children run and play outside the chambers of the Board of County Supervisors, seemingly oblivious to the charged debate unfolding indoors. A Woodbridge high school teacher cautions the board's chairman, Corey A. Stewart (R): "The very people you are trying to oppress today, their children may rise up tomorrow and stand in judgment of you."

For Byler, an independent director whose 2002 film "Charlotte Sometimes" was hailed as a "breakthrough for Asian American filmmaking" by critic Roger Ebert, the roots of the 9500 Liberty project trace to George Allen's calling an Indian American "macaca" last summer.

Byler, the son of a white U.S. Army officer and a Chinese American mother, spent much of his childhood in Burke. He said he was teased often about his appearance.

"Watching George Allen look into the camera and point and say you are not the real Virginia, the real Virginia is the people who are laughing with me at you, reminded me of this whole thing that was never resolved," Byler said.

"I've always been sensitive to situations where people are being singled out."

After the macaca incident, Byler and Park moved back to Virginia from Los Angeles and volunteered for Democrat James Webb's Senate campaign against Allen, helping to raise money among Asian Americans.

Although they worked on a Democratic campaign and their video clips show a sympathy for Latino immigrants' fears about racism and discrimination, Byler and Park have sought to capture all sides of the debate on illegal immigration. One of their most-viewed videos shows a meeting of the anti-illegal immigrant group Help Save Manassas, and others include interviews with Stewart, whose reelection campaign slogan is "Fighting illegal immigration."

"They're really trying to do a service," said George Taplin, director of the Virginia chapter of the anti-illegal immigrant group Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, who appears in two videos about the now-defunct Herndon day-laborer center. Taplin praised the videos' fairness but said he thought the couple's editorial balance was missing in their administration of viewer comments on their YouTube page.

"What I'm seeing as far as the reaction is rhetoric and people calling each other names. That's not going to help anything," Taplin said. "You don't get dialogue going by fanning hatred and discontent."

Like Taplin, some viewers have accused Byler and Park of censorship for rejecting their comments on the 9500 Liberty page. Byler and Park maintain that they are trying to keep the discussion free of hate speech or racism, especially as viewings of their videos have increased and comments have begun arriving from viewers elsewhere in the United States and abroad.

"We don't approve the ones that are going to lead to violence," Byler said. Some of the hate-filled diatribes that arrived in the past week were so disturbing that they notified federal authorities, he said.

Byler says that viewers need to watch several of the videos to understand the larger picture of Prince William's illegal-immigration debate. The clips have appeared on blogs and elicited hundreds of comments. But despite the couple's efforts at peacemaking, there is little sign of reconciliation in their videos, though no shortage of resentment, fear and bitterness.

Still, Park said she is not discouraged.

"I see a lot of hope in this," she said. "Ultimately, the only way to heal the community is to work together to end the fighting and to collaborate on solutions that address the real grievances people have."

"This law convinced me it was time. [They] hate us so much here."

As painful as it is, the people leaving Prince William County may be teaching the county a lesson. It will be interesting to see what happens in a few months. Already the signs are there, sales at the markets are down... people are leaving their houses.

One thing I do have to mention is that N.C. Aizenman needs to think through his/her use of words - Saying that someone "sneaked" into the country may please some Minute Men, but is an extremely different reality. Why not say "escaped" into the country? Or "immigrated" to this country?

The use of the word "sneaked" shows a negative pre-existing value judgement on the part of the writer. I thought journalists were supposed to present the news objectively -

-----
Uneasy Latinos React Using Their Feet: By Leaving Pr. William
Crackdown Is Festering Fear
By N.C. Aizenman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 22, 2007; A01

Supporters of the anti-illegal immigration measure adopted in Prince William County last week have argued that its most important purpose is to send a powerful signal to the county's mostly Latino illegal immigrants that they are no longer welcome.

It appears the message has already been received: Terrified that new policies will lead to mass deportations, illegal immigrants and the many legal immigrant relatives and friends who live with them have been moving out of Prince William ever since July, when county supervisors first approved the plan's outline.

The size of the migration is difficult to measure, particularly during a year when slumping housing prices and skyrocketing foreclosures have led many residents to move for purely economic reasons.

Still, signs of the growing climate of fear are everywhere.

At the Freetown Market, a convenience store in a heavily Latino section of Woodbridge that offers U-Haul trucks for hire, one-way rentals have jumped from between 10 and 20 a month just before July to about 40 a month today.

In the same strip mall, at a money-transfer store where the customer line to pay utility bills once snaked out the door, business has slowed so dramatically the past three months that one clerk has been let go and the remaining one spends most of her time on the computer, e-mailing gloomy updates to relatives back home in Guatemala.

A few doors down, staff workers at the IMA English language academy will soon be taking the American flag decorations off the walls and moving to a smaller space, because the number of students has plummeted from 350 to about 60 since July.

"There is a mass panic," said the academy's owner, Roberto Catacora. "Those who haven't already moved away don't dare step outside their houses."

Although one of the new measures directs county police to check the immigration status of only criminal suspects, many immigrants think that all Latinos will be subject to random sweeps, Catacora added.

The effect on his once-bustling academy was palpable on a recent weeknight, when all but one of the six classrooms were deserted.

Among the absent students was Jose Luis Pubeac, 42, a day laborer who sneaked into the country 18 months ago. He was busy preparing for his flight back to El Salvador on Saturday.

"I was already thinking of going home, because I was having such a hard time finding work," said Pubeac, speaking on his cellphone as he raced around picking up presents for his five children back home. "But this law convinced me it was time. [They] hate us so much here."

Most departing immigrants, however, appear to be moving closer afield, choosing states such as North Carolina or neighboring counties such as Prince George's or Arlington that they perceive as less hostile.

In August, Walter Ramirez settled on Alexandria.

A 29-year-old construction worker, Ramirez was not personally at risk from Prince William's crackdown because he has a temporary permit granted to many Salvadorans when an earthquake devastated their country in 2001.

But his roommates were a different story. And after the July resolution was adopted, they were overcome with stifling paranoia.

"I used to walk over to the supermarket every day to pick up food or a phone card or just to hang out," recalled one roommate, a 22-year-old from Honduras who sneaked into the United States three years ago. "But suddenly it seemed like there were so many police officers there, so I limited myself to once a week. It was so stressful, because you feel totally locked up, like you're a prisoner in your own home," he added, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Ramirez nodded his head sympathetically. The two were sitting on a large tan couch that took up almost the entire living room of their new home, a walled-off section of a ramshackle colonial house on a leafy cul-de-sac.

The cramped quarters are a step down from the well-kept apartment they rented in Woodbridge, where each man paid $275 a month for his own room and had access to the nicely landscaped complex's swimming pool. In Alexandria, they pay $400 each for shared rooms, make do with a hot plate in place of a stove and are no longer walking distance from friends and shops.

"It's a more isolated life here, and that's a sacrifice. But I had no choice," Ramirez said. "My buddies are like my family. I can't live in a place where they are going to be persecuted."

Several real estate agents who serve Latino immigrants predicted that more people will reach the same conclusion as Ramirez now that the Prince William Board of County Supervisors has given final approval to the anti-illegal immigration measure.

"This is not something that only affects the undocumented," agent Rosie Vilchez said. "Because in the same family, it's so common to have some people who are citizens, some people who are residents and some who are undocumented. And those with papers are going to do whatever is necessary to protect those without."

Within hours of the board's vote, Salvadoran-born Aracely Diaz instructed her real estate agent to put her townhouse on the market.

Diaz, a supermarket checkout clerk, was one of nearly 400 people who waited for hours to comment on the bill during the marathon pre-vote session that stretched into Wednesday's wee hours.

"Even after they passed that July resolution, I had hope that [the supervisors] would change their minds," said Diaz, 37, who has legal status but worries about relatives who do not.

Now, she noted bitterly, "I'll be selling at loss. But I don't care. I no longer have any affection for this place that treats us this way. I just want to get out."

Jose Ventura, a Salvadoran mason renting an apartment in Manassas, cites similar reasons for his decision to move not just his residence but also his business to Maryland.

Ventura, 38, who came to the United States seven years ago and then received the temporary protected status because of the earthquake in his homeland, smiled ruefully as he recalled the sense of possibility that suffused Prince William back then. "Oh, it was so great. There was so much work," he said.

He took two jobs to save enough to start a masonry company, then built it into a 35-man operation.

But a slowdown in the construction industry has forced Ventura to cut his workforce to 15 people. Meanwhile, his plan to buy a new house and pay off some of the mortgage by renting some of the rooms backfired after county residents called for a crackdown on overcrowding. A few days ago, the bank foreclosed on the property, wiping out all $80,000 of his savings and leaving him $20,000 in debt.

The supervisors' unanimous approval of the anti-illegal immigration resolution struck Ventura as the last straw.

"I feel like when this county was growing, when they needed us, they welcomed us Latinos with open arms," he said. "But now that the county is all grown up and times are hard, it's totally turned its back on us. They are so ungrateful."





http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/21/AR2007102101725_pf.html

Who Says Undocumented People Are Not Self-sufficient?

The Washington Post speaks "admirably" about President Bush's attempt to pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The paper's stance on the Prince William County vote against undocumented immigrants is encouraging.

It's a shame that to have a balanced approach to immigration would be considered "politically risky" - but these days in our xenophobic America, who could be surprised.

What I do have to question is the comment about undocumented immigrants need to "find work so that they may be self-sufficient and contribute to the community." The one thing I have seen during these last 20 months of doing research on immigration and the DREAM ACT is that undocumented immigrants ARE self-sufficient, often much more so than U.S. citizens. Of course they contribute to their community - they pay sales taxes and lose billions in income tax with-holding and social securty contributions that they will never be eligible to claim.


-----
Wrong Response
Frustration with the federal government's failure to manage immigration provokes bad decisions.
Washington Post
Thursday, October 18, 2007; A24

THE PRINCE William County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously at 2:30 a.m. yesterday to deny some county services to undocumented residents and to try to make them feel unwelcome in other ways. The board didn't come up with the funds that its new policy will require, and some of the measures may well be thrown out in court. But never mind: The supervisors fulfilled one goal they had cynically set for themselves, which was to look tough on illegal immigration before Election Day.

Prince William is not alone in this region as it struggles to come to terms with an unprecedented wave of immigration, both legal and illegal. The newcomers in many cases bring a willingness to work hard and a faith in the American dream that enrich their new communities. They also impose fiscal and social costs that arouse understandable anxiety, and those who have come illegally inspire resentment among many of those, both native-born and immigrant, who have played by the rules.

Unfortunately, those who should be providing a solution have failed to do so. Congress had a chance this year to pass sensible, desperately needed reforms and did not. President Bush, having pushed admirably for a comprehensive overhaul, then rolled out draconian and unworkable rules meant to prove his seriousness about enforcement. He may want to ratchet up the pain felt by businesses so that they will renew their lobbying for change. One provision, challenged by businesses and unions, called for the use of government data to identify undocumented workers who have used fake Social Security numbers; employers would be fined unless they fired those with "no-match" numbers within 90 days of being notified of a problem. A federal judge in California put this rule on hold after concluding that thousands, if not millions, of innocent citizens and legal residents could be caught up in immigration stings because of typographical errors and other mistakes that pervade the Social Security database.

Likewise, crackdowns such as Prince William's will accomplish little while harming many legal immigrants, as the outpouring of opposition at the board meeting Tuesday and yesterday suggested. The wiser, if politically riskier, course is what Montgomery County is pursuing: providing services to help the undocumented learn English and find work so that they may be self-sufficient and contribute to the community. Frederick County commissioners put the onus in the right place when they voted recently not to pursue punitive measures, even while imploring Washington to act. And if Congress continues to abdicate its responsibility, voters should remember a year from now which senators and representatives favored constructive change and which stood in the way.

Who is this Person in Rumpled Clothing?

How does a police officer have a reasonable idea that person could be an undocumented immigrant? Are there any specific rules that will help him judge this?

Could it be?

1. A person with black straight hair.
2. A person less than 5'7" tall.
3. Someone wearing clothing that looks like its from Goodwill?
4. Someone that prefers to speak a language other than English?

Actually this sounds like it could be an American college professor. I would encourage PWC police to be very cautious about who they pick up. One day it might be the wrong person - and a legal avalanche could fall down upon them.


At two a.m. Thursday (Oct 17) morning, Prince William County passed strong anti-immigration law - as other communities have done around the country. A comment by PWC Supervisor Martin Nohe that he was concerned the law would encourage discrimination is surprising considering the law passed unanimously:

Nohe: "We don't want to be the kind of community that even allows the image that racial profiling is taking place."

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Va. County OKs Immigration Crackdown
Washington Post
The Associated Press
Wednesday, October 17, 2007; 11:57 AM


MANASSAS, Va. -- One of the nation's toughest local crackdowns on illegal immigration was unanimously approved by Prince William County lawmakers early Wednesday after a 12-hour hearing marked by emotional testimony and scuffles.

The measures would deny certain county services to illegal immigrants, including business licenses, drug counseling, housing assistance and some services for the elderly. The county Board of Supervisors also gave police some funding to help them check the immigration status of anyone accused of breaking a law if an officer suspects the person is an illegal immigrant.

A group of 22 plaintiffs has already filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block the measures. They claim the measures violate equal protection laws and that immigration enforcement is a federal matter.

Nearly 400 residents and immigrants spoke for and against the measures during the 12-hour session that extended past 2 a.m. Wednesday...

A Different Kind of Civil War - in Prince William Cnty

Perhaps it is a good thing that the Prince William Cnty supervisors encouraged people to give their testimonies regarding the vote on anti-immigration measures. It no longer belongs just to supervisor Corey Stewart.

There were scuffles, screaming matches and insults. One Manassas resident, Robert Stephen told a crowd of Hispanics "Where do you get off demanding services, rights and mandatory citizenship?" ... "Who invited you? You cry for your rights? You have none..."

Interesting comment for the paper to quote. Especially since people are not necessarily demanding services and for sure not demanding mandatory citizenship. Perhaps it was written to show the absurdity of the situation.

It also reminded me one more time of the intense hatred involved in all of this... and a conversation I had last week with someone from the anti-immigration group Center for Immigration Studies -- which turned out to be quite an experience. More on that later.

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As Hundreds Testify, Pr. William's Vote on Immigrant Plan Goes Late
By Nick Miroff and Kristen Mack
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, October 17, 2007; A01

A vote to enact Prince William County's nationally watched plan to crack down on illegal immigrants was delayed into the night yesterday after a huge public turnout produced a marathon session of emotional public testimony.

More than 1,200 people packed the county government complex in Woodbridge and the streets outside yesterday afternoon, creating a charged -- and at times tense -- atmosphere. As the Board of County Supervisors meeting began, supporters and opponents of the measures scuffled in the street before police pulled the two sides apart, threatening to make arrests.

...the real drama was in Prince William, and it wasn't confined to the street. About 375 people signed up to address the supervisors during the public comment period; early today, dozens of people were still waiting to speak. When the board's chairman, Corey A. Stewart (R), who has made illegal immigration the signature issue of his reelection campaign, moved at the outset to reduce the time allotted for each speaker from three minutes to one, Supervisor Maureen S. Caddigan (R-Dumfries) sought to block the measure.

Caddigan and other board members have criticized Stewart for using $30,000 in public money to send postcards to every Prince William household notifying residents of the board's vote. Stewart should not invite residents to the meeting and then restrict their right to speak, Caddigan argued.

The motion was put to a vote, and five of the board's other seven members, including three Republicans, agreed with Caddigan.

Nine hours later, the supervisors were still hearing public testimony and not begun a discussion of the proposal to fully implement the anti-illegal immigrant policies. At one point late into the session, Supervisor Hilda M. Barg (D-Woodbridge) said Stewart had left the board chambers to conduct television interviews and asked to delay proceedings until he returned.

The measures considered yesterday would authorize police to conduct immigration checks on anyone accused of breaking a law or local ordinance if an officer suspects that person is an illegal immigrant.

The measures also would deny certain county services to illegal immigrants.

But with a projected 14 percent decline in property values, several supervisors have expressed concern about funding the measures, opting two weeks ago to delay the vote until yesterday.

With the Nov. 6 election approaching and all of the supervisors up for reelection, the county's illegal-immigration policies have become a dominant campaign issue. Stewart has pushed hard for the new measures to be approved before Election Day, angering fellow board members.

But for hours yesterday afternoon and deep into the night, the podium belonged to residents, highlighting how visceral the issue has become.

Children of immigrants, standing on stools, asked board members not to hurt their parents.

Others pointed out that illegal immigrants are breaking the law. "Where do you get off demanding services, rights and mandatory citizenship?" said Manassas resident Robert Stephens, addressing the crowd of Hispanic residents. "Who invited you? You cry for your rights? You have none..."


for complete Washington Post article, click title of this post

No Strict Rule of Law for Taxpayer's Money in Prince William County

Apparently, Corey Stewart, Prince William County Supervisor only believes in the strict "rule of law" for undocumented immigrants, but not for his use of taxpayer's money

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PRINCE WILLIAM SUPERVISORS
Some Angered by Chairman's Use of Tax Funds for Mailer
By Christy Goodman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 14, 2007; Page C06


The Prince William Board of County Supervisors chairman has used taxpayer money to mail postcards about a meeting on a resolution to crack down on illegal immigration, angering board colleagues and others.

The postcard, from Corey A. Stewart (R), calls on residents to voice their opinions on the controversial resolution before and during a meeting Tuesday. The board will vote on funding and "implementing its policy to crack down on illegal immigration and cut off taxpayer-funded services to illegal aliens," according to the postcard.

...
Even members of Stewart's party questioned the use of taxpayer money for publicizing a vote on an issue that is key to the chairman's reelection. Stewart faces voters Nov. 6 and has made the illegal-immigration crackdown his signature issue. The postcard says it is from Stewart and does not mention other supervisors.

"If this is on the up-and-up, it is probably close to the line. I wouldn't have done it. It looks like electioneering," said Supervisor W. S. Covington III (R-Brentsville).

...Some residents who received the postcard also were upset that county money, and not Stewart's campaign fund, was used. "I've lived in the county for over 20 years. I have never received this sort of mailer before. Never," said Mildred Cruz-Friedman, 59, a retired school principal. "This guy has some nerve."

Julie Phillips, 50, a Woodbridge resident who said she is against the resolution, agreed. "I read that [as] telling me which way to voice my opinion on the resolution, not to voice my opinion," she said. "You look at it, and it just doesn't seem right."

Other board members also questioned the use of the discretionary fund.

Supervisor Maureen S. Caddigan (R-Dumfries), who supports Stewart's opponent in the election, said she was "appalled" when she saw the notice and said, "We are being bullied into doing something. . . . This is terrible. This is not how we govern."

Supervisor John D. Jenkins (D-Neabsco) wondered why Stewart did not tell the board before the mailing went out, as is the usual custom. "Citizens saw it before the board members saw it. . . . Over the past few years, we always announced an intent if we were going to use discretionary funds," he said. Establishing a public hearing and advertising in the local newspaper would have been a better use of public funds, he said.

The county's cable station and printing press are two other cheap ways of informing the public, said Vice Chairman Martin E. Nohe (R-Coles). "I don't think there are a whole lot of people in the county who aren't aware we are discussing immigration policy," said Nohe, questioning the value of the mailing.



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My Friend in Dale City

I really don't know him, but I wish he was my friend. He sounds like a fine guy... He has a house that has appreciated a lot (more than most people these days), two jobs, and two kids. I bet he even has a couple of dogs that he treats really well. I would be proud to have a friend like that. The U.S. should be proud to have residents like the man from Dale City.

What is wrong with Corey Stewart (Chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors) that he can easily down his cake at the Cafe Mozart while he makes flippant comments about a man being deported.

He blandly tells his waiter, an immigrant himself, that the friend from Dale City needs to follow the rules.

There were rules in Nazi Germany that ordered Jews to be detained and eliminated. When Nazi's were prosecuted for war crimes they stated they were only "following the rules."

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Issue Vs. Expertise In Race For Board
Immigration Stand Hovering Over Pr. William Ballot
By Nick Miroff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 12, 2007; Page B01


Corey A. Stewart had just downed a plate of sausage goulash at Cafe Mozart, his favorite District hangout, when illegal immigration got in the way of dessert. The chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors was thinking German chocolate cake, but his waiter, Alex Kemsky, a bearish Ukrainian, was worried about a friend in Dale City.

"Will he lose his house?" asked Kemsky, explaining that the friend, an illegal immigrant from Honduras with two jobs, two children and a lot of home equity, was now cowering in fear of Prince William's new anti-illegal immigrant policies.

Stewart gave a reassuring laugh and said that, no, the man's house would not be taken away. Then he flipped into campaign mode, telling Kemsky that his friend was more likely to be deported.

But the man worked hard and didn't cause trouble, Kemsky said.

"I don't want to sound cruel, but people should obey the rules," Stewart said flatly. Then he ordered cake...



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"I don't want to live in a place where I am hated"

Maybe Prince William County has done enough so any half sane Latino will finally move to another county that is not so hostile. But PWC is home, even with its defects. What do you do when the people who run your local government don't like you?

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Latinos Unite Across Classes Against Curbs on Immigration
By Pamela Constable
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 9, 2007; Page A01


José Marinay wears tailored suits, plays racquetball twice a week and displays photos of family-owned racehorses in his Annandale office. For years, the Colombian-born businessman thought he had little in common with the area's illegal immigrants, often villagers from Mexico and Central America who sleep 10 to a house and push lawn mowers or scrub pots for a living.

But the battle in Prince William County, where a measure to curb illegal immigration has thrown the Latino community into turmoil, changed his mind.

...Although not yet enacted into law, the resolution passed by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors has created a sense of siege and solidarity throughout the county's wider Latino community of about 30,000. Rumors circulate that people will be arrested if they board buses or drop off their children at school. Some legal residents, who bought homes and opened businesses, expecting to stay for years, say they are thinking of leaving...




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Prince William County Now Says Immgration Enforcement is Too Expensive

In the end it may be realistic things like budgets that will slow down or stop the rabid move of many communities to eliminate any residents that are undocumented.

They will find out first that its too expensive to track everybody down. Then once everyone is gone, their local economy will almost collapse.


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Citing Cost, Prince William Delays Immigrant Measures
Support of Crackdown Affirmed Amid New Caution
By Nick Miroff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 3, 2007; Page A01


Prince William County supervisors slowed their closely watched crackdown on illegal immigrants yesterday, as one of the nation's most aggressive efforts at local enforcement has run into the reality of budget constraints at a time of declining revenue.

County supervisors remained united in wanting to show that local governments can do more to rid their towns of illegal immigrants, voting unanimously to support a new police policy that increases residency checks and improves cooperation with federal immigration authorities. But when it came to allocating the $14.2 million it would cost to implement the policy, the supervisors balked, voting to revisit the issue later.

The board's vote, taken late yesterday afternoon after spirited public debate, delays the implementation of the key elements of the immigration policy.

Specifically, supervisors said it was too soon to commit money for any of the measures. With property values falling by 10 percent or more and a $575,000 cut in state funding for county police services projected, several supervisors urged more time and caution.

"Part of me feels like we've been pulled away from our central mission," said Supervisor W.S. "Wally" Covington III (R-Brentsville). "For me, what this has always been about is what the cost is."

Supervisors also postponed their vote on proposals that would have denied county services to illegal immigrants, arguing that more time is needed to study the costs and potential consequences. The suggested service cuts outlined at yesterday's meeting did not put a price on tighter residency checks by county staff members. Supervisors also postponed their vote on funding a seven-officer Criminal Alien Unit within the police department...

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