USA TODAY
PRINCE WILLIAM CO., Va. — Lawmakers in Prince William County, Va., gave unanimous approval last night to what is being described as one of the USA’s toughest crackdowns on illegal immigration.
In the resolution, members of the board of supervisors ordered police officers to check the immigration status of all prisoners and directed county agencies to produce a list of services that they can deny to illegals without breaking federal or state laws.
The Associated Press says the measure doesn’t spell out which services can be denied to illegals, but The Washington Times reports that county employees will now have to verify the immigration status of residents who receive access to certain non-emergency services. This includes schools, libraries and swimming pools, according to WRC-TV.
“How are we supposed to survive here?” asks Gregorio Calderón, a legal U.S. resident from El Salvador, according to The Washington Post. “They’re going to pull me over just for being Hispanic.”
WRC-TV says this marked a softening of the original proposal, which would have required that officers verify the immigration status of every person they stopped, even those accused of minor traffic violations. The county plans to ask Homeland Security to deputize beat cops so they can enforce federal immigration laws.
By all accounts, the hearing drew a large, emotional crowd.
“These border crashers have contributed to rising crime rates, increasing burdens on our schools, hospitals and public services, and the very destruction of our American culture,” proposal supporter Greg Letieco said during a public hearing before the vote.
But The Culpepper Star Exponent says the police chief warned lawmakers that this resolution will have “significant, unintended consequence which will impact our county for years to come.”
“If we don’t get this right, perceptions of racism will increase,” Deane said, according to the paper. “Despite any cries of fairness and impartiality, Prince William County ... will be painted ... as a racist community intent on driving out a single population.
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