The immigration subcommittee of the state advisory committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights came to Prince William today to hear from lawyers, demographers, local public officials and immigration rights advocates. The panel is examining whether the county's crackdown amounts to discrimination.The subcommittee is chaired by Linda Chavez, who withdrew her nomination as U.S. Secretary of Labor in 2001 when reports surfaced she had employed an illegal immigrant. The issue surfaced during Friday's hearing, which was at times confrontational.
"Watching this, it seemed like there was little fact-finding prior to the board's consideration of this resolution. You seemed to have made up your minds [in advance]," Chavez said. "I'm talking about empirical evidence, not how people are feeling."
Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large) prefaced his response by saying Chavez has a "clear past and agenda here." In an interview later, Stewart called Chavez "an illegal immigrant-apologist."
Prince William looked at the impact of illegal immigration on the community, Stewart said, citing crime, residential overcrowding and increased use of hospital emergency rooms. Chavez called that anecdotal.
"We've found it difficult to quantify the problem," Stewart said of the cost and impact of illegal immigration on the county. "But that doesn't mean it's not a problem."
So basically, what he is saying is..., "If I SAY it is a problem...it IS a problem."