Pr. William (VA) Broadens Citizenship Checks

[MountainLaurel]

Just what we need, some Barney Fife out in Gainesville having access to a national database.

Everyone arrested in Prince William County will have his or her name run through a federal database to determine citizenship status, even if the person is not suspected of being in the country illegally, according to a draft of the county's revised illegal-immigration policy.

Police Chief Charlie T. Deane briefed the Board of County Supervisors yesterday on the changes, which the board approved in April after concerns were raised that its policy had left the police department open to charges of racial profiling.

Chairman Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large), who worked with the police department and county attorney to develop the wording in the general order, said he is happy with the changes.

"It still has the strength of the old policy and is more legally defensible," he said, adding that officers can still make immigration checks if they have questions about someone's identity.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/03/AR2008060302148.html

[Virginia Dare]

1. They're going to get their asses sued off by the ACLU...

and I welcome it.

[hokies4ever]

2. I used to live in Prince William County. Not a large immigrant population there.

So this is much more about the principle of the matter than a real effect on the population there.

[Squatch]

5. Are you kidding?

I live in PWC now, and it has a HUGE immigrant population. (To me, the diversity is why I like it here...not boring at all)

[hokies4ever]

8. Maybe I'm thinking in relative terms

in comparison to visiting LA for example. I'm a black man in my 20's who grew up there and appreciated the diversity of Prince William County, but don't feel that there was a huge anti-immigrant sentiment there relative to the immigrant population percentage as compared to other places in the SW USA.

[MountainLaurel]

9. Haven't been reading the news lately, have we?

PW has been spending the past couple of years trying to make the county as inhospitable to immigrants as possible, from a law limiting the number of unrelated people (defined as immediate ties only, so no extended families) who could live in one house and only enforcing it in Hispanic neighborhoods to the latest round of laws, where if you get stopped for a broken taillight your status is checked.

[hokies4ever]

10. I view it as anti-minority, not only as anti-immigrant as you do

My older brother was pulled over just because he was black. He asked the officer what was wrong and the officer told him that he just wanted to get a closer look at the car. I view Prince William police as having an anti-minority problem, not just an anti-immigrant problem.

[demnan]

6. The eastern part of Prince William is heavily hispanic

at least it was before these draconian laws and before the housing crisis forced a lot of working class hispanics to leave. Now Prince William has a problem with vacant properties and closed businesses along the Route One cooridor of Woodbridge. A place that used to be a haven for all peoples is now known as a racist place, thanks to the bad government of our board of supervisors

[hokies4ever]

7. Hispanic = automatic immigrant?

Well, I only lived there for about 10 years, so obviously I'm clueless. :eyes:

[Vogon_Glory]

11. Vacant Properties? Closed Businesses? But, But...

Vacant properties? Closed businesses? But, but the sooper-dooper "patriots" who are out there beating the drums to round up them illegals TOLD us that rounding 'em up would INCREASE prosperity, not damage the local economy.

How could they possibly be wrong?

Must be liberal bias. :sarcasm:

:crazy: :dunce:

[enlightenment]

3. You know, there IS an actual Prince William these days!

Your header caused some morning confusion . . . couldn't figure out why or how the heir to the throne was broadening citizenship checks! For those of us who don't live on the East coast and know (vaguely) that there are Prince William (George, etc) counties in at least a couple of states, including the state would be helpful. ;)

Thank you!

[MountainLaurel]

4. Sorry, I was posting the headline

Per DU rules. I'll toss in a parens if I can.

[enlightenment]

12. Ah, heck, don't worry about it -

I'm having one of those weeks, I think. Sorry I tried to make you share it with me!!
:)

[onethatcares]

13. I wonder how they're gonna pay for all that computer time

They aren't gonna use everyones' taxes are they? May they get sued many times over, and over and over.