PW county starting to check immigration status

By: ericy
Published On: 3/4/2008 9:14:09 AM

Here's the story in the Post about this.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

Work-van drivers signaled long before their turns to avoid being pulled over for a traffic violation. Day laborers skipped their early morning coffee at 7-Eleven, and merengue tunes played to empty tables at Latino lunch counters across Prince William County yesterday.

It was the first day of a county ordinance that allows police to check people's immigration status for even minor legal infractions.

We know a fellow who is Hispanic (who is legal, BTW), lives in Woodbridge and was talking about how everyone who is Latino down there is worried.  He wants to sell his house and move up somewhere near Falls Church, but he was saying that the housing market down there is really bad right now.  The thought comes to mind that if you have lots of Hispanics trying to move out of Prince William county, that could further depress an already weak housing market down there.  

I don't know how many own vs rent, but in a sense it doesn't matter that much - if you have a segment of the population leaving the county, it leaves a hole that will take a while to fill.

Comments



PWC BOS budget talks already mentioned that... (floodguy - 3/5/2008 3:56:04 PM)
Dale City and Woodbridge are two of the top 100 foreclosure jurisdiction in the US.  Foreclosures as a whole in the county, jumped 100% to 5000 from Sept 07 to Jan 07!  

With that many fewer homes contributing to property tax receipts, plus the new illegal immigration program, the proposed county budget plans for a 28% increase in property taxes!  The conservative who voted for the new and unfunded illegal immigration plan, are also against the tax increase.  

I'm not in favor of a tax increase personally during an economic slowdown, however, I not in favor of trashing other sections of the county's budget to meet the new program's cost.  Seems like the slowing economy, the subprime mess and a dead housing market, all by itself are decreasing the illegal immigrant population in the county and throughout the nation.