Prince William County’s Anti-Illegal Immigration Ordinance Fallout

As a result of the new Anti-Illegal immigration ordinance which recently passed in the Prince William County, many local residents specifically the Hispanic and Latinos living in Prince William County have been fearful and resentful on how they have been treated lately not by the locals by the local enforcement authorities. Many illegal immigrants chose to leave the County as a result of this ordinance, but many remained steadfast and determined to fight the legality and merit of this decree.

According to local County Officials, this ordinance came about because of complaints from local County residents about overcrowded conditions which according to some local residents devalued property values; in addition to loud noises, uncollected trash, and general nuisance with parking problems during the weekend. As a result of these complains, local County officials have initiated and drafted a County Ordinance specifically designed to deal with these escalating issues.

Nancy Lyall, legal advocate for Mexico without Borders, stated during a public testimony held last year revealed that The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) was responsible for authoring and crafting the legal language and was instrumental in the creation of this Anti-Immigration resolution for Prince William County.  According to her, the way the ordinance was crafted and tailored to the organization’s mission ~ a common belief that our nation's immigration policies must be reformed to serve the national interest. One of the many complains from local County residents who testified before the Hearing Committee included secondary information such as too many people lived in the same household, and in some cases local County residents automatically assumed people of slightly darker skin were illegal and lacked proper documentation. Consequently, this new ordinance which was passed this year created an atmosphere of mistrust to local authorities.

Hispanic/Latinos have complained and have documented the following grievances:

• Racial profiling among the Hispanic/Latino descent particularly people with Hispanic/Latino surnames, people with thick Spanish accent, and of darker skin completion.

• Instances of local law enforcement officials have been arresting and targeting Hispanic/Latino people in their private homes.

Other unconfirmed reports included targeting Black Americans as well and other Foreign Nationals with legal status living in the County have also been targeted.

Nancy Lyall stated this ordinance is “unconstitutional” and is not acceptable in the manner the ordinance is currently being implemented.  Mexico Without Borders has been working with a legal advocacy group in documenting and capturing testimonies from the Hispanic community about the harassment, the racial profiling, and other manners of illegal intimidation. Currently this Anti-Illegal immigration measure is the only one in existence in the United States.

With the recent down turn in the housing market nationwide, many homes in Prince William County previously owned by Hispanic/Latino owners stand silent and vacant.  Compounded by this Anti-Immigration sentiment, the county is seeking new ways in generating revenues in this soft economy. With the proposed tax increase of 28% and with the escalating cost of promoting this measure ($26 million over a five year period), some county residents are wondering if this money is well spent.  The Prince William County is in the midst of budget resolution to determine the feasibility of purchasing surveillance equipment in dealing with illegal immigration. The costs seem to outweigh the benefits particularly in these difficult months ahead for the local county government and residents. She encourages local residents to contact their local representatives and repeal future funding for this Anti-Illegal measure. She pointed out that county residents are entitled to use these funds to support local education, local roads, local transportation, and public safety in lieu of purchasing unnecessary equipment.  She adamantly pointed out that some local politicians are using this ordinance to promote their political agenda, enhance their political career at the expense of a minority group.  She further noted and questioned their true intent and motivation behind this resolution.

For example, educational funds for Programs like English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) will be not adequately funded because they are not enough foreign born students to participate to programs like ESOL. With as many as six hundred (600) students pulled out by Hispanic/Latino families out of the Prince William County Public School System, the county will be facing a budget shortfall and possibly a deficit as a result of this ordinance. She pointed out that the Prince William County Public School System will be missing this opportunity provided by the State Educational Funds.

The Anti-Illegal Ordinance is definitely a very complex issue and has many social and political ramifications. It is too premature to say at this point in time what the immediate effects are in store for Prince William County residents.

 

Date Published: 2008-03-19 04:00:00

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