Prince William Illegal Immigrant Crackdown Runs into "Reality"

By: Lowell
Published On: 10/3/2007 6:49:06 AM

Obviously, it's a lot easier to talk and posture than to actually do something.  That's the case on any issue, from global warming to immigration.  And yesterday, in Prince William county (and specifically on its Republican-controlled board), we witnessed that truth once again.  Here's the Washington Post on what happened:

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.

[...]

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.

So there you have it; Prince William's (Republican) supervisors, in the end, realized that they didn't have millions  of dollars to spend in doing a job that is by all rights a federal responsibility.  With the budget crunched already, coming up with millions of dollars to act as immigration enforcement officials was not something the PW county board could stomach.  As one (Republican) supervisor said, "Immigration isn't the only issue in this county...Paying for all this is going to be difficult."

Reality rears its ugly head.
More reality: perhaps supervisors also realize that there's the risk of what happened in Riverside, New Jersey, which "got tough" on immigration in 2006, only to find major problems in 2007:

With the departure of so many people, the local economy suffered. Hair salons, restaurants and corner shops that catered to the immigrants saw business plummet; several closed. Once-boarded-up storefronts downtown were boarded up again.

Meanwhile, the town was hit with two lawsuits challenging the law. Legal bills began to pile up, straining the town's already tight budget. Suddenly, many people - including some who originally favored the law - started having second thoughts.

So last week, the town rescinded the ordinance, joining a small but growing list of municipalities nationwide that have begun rethinking such laws as their legal and economic consequences have become clearer.

It looks like yesterday, those "legal and economic consequences" may have become a bit "clearer" as well.

Comments



Very good diary Lowell and a great talking point for PW Democratic candidates (soccerdem - 10/3/2007 8:07:16 AM)
I would find it really hard to believe that these PW Supervisors didn't have any inkling of an idea that implementing such an enforcement effort wouldn't cost anything (???)

This is the opportunity for the candidates opposing the PW Republicans to make a statement such as:

Your Republican supervisors have lead you down the path to try to make you think that they are going to be tough on illegal immigration here in Prince William.  But they knew full well when they were talking tough and trying to get your vote that there was no money to fund a police crackdown!!! 

And if the Republican supervisors didn't "realize" that it would cost money to crack down on illegal immigration, then they are so clearly inept that they should be kicked out of office for monetary malfeasance!

Again, Lowell, this is a great story!!!



And so predictable. (Lowell - 10/3/2007 8:18:12 AM)
The fact is, Republicans like to posture and demagogue on this issue, while taking huge amounts of money from the very companies that employ exploit/profit from illegal immigrants.  And people wonder why Republicans -- in charge of both Congress and the Virginia General Assembly for much of the past decade -- have done nothing on illegal immigration during all that time?  Hmmmmmmmm.


Exactly, this issue is NOTHING but political posturing.... (Doug in Mount Vernon - 10/3/2007 10:49:58 AM)
And the other thing that came up a few weeks back with that town in New Jersey from the NY Times article is the economic impact of chasing these immigrants out of your community with hostility and xenophobic rants---it ain't pretty!  If PWC is having trouble collecting the tax revenues now, wait until its ethnic populations decide to uproot (like Corey Stewart wants!) and leave those communities.  With the housing market, it's not going to be pretty.

Shooting themselves in the foot does certainly seem to be a perpetual problem for Republican officeholders, but I suppose that's what blowhard grandstanding and demagoguery gets you.

Elect Democrats and get actual leadership, pragmatic problem-solving, and responsible, competent government!



The Democrats on the Board voted for this stupidity too (demnan - 10/3/2007 10:42:41 AM)
Just wanted to make this comment, Lowell.  The Democrats, Jenkins and Barg caved in to the Republicans and refused to stand up and vote against this bill last summer, so as far as I'm concerned they are DINOs.  In fact, the retiring Hilda Barg probably proceeded to lose the election for her predecessor, Principi, because of this.  The Hills of Marumsco (a Woodbridge subdivision with a growing Hispanic population) are alive with Ramerez, Independent for Supervisor signs everywhere you go.


Disappointing. (Lowell - 10/3/2007 11:40:25 AM)
n/t


A Good Offense (Evan M - 10/3/2007 12:09:52 PM)
Personally, I think this issue is an example of how hitting back, quickly and hard, can make a difference on these silly, demagoguery issues the Republicans raise.

The Riverside, NJ story broke the back of this issue (I think) and it's the blogosphere that spread that far and wide, even while providing rapid response debunking of some of the assertions made on the other side.

Our strong role in calling out the BS needs to remain, even as we expand our capabilities to fundraise and campaign directly.