Once again Prince William County is in the news. I heard on Channel News 4 on June 3 that a proposal by Corey Stewart, Chairman of the Board of County Supervisors, to check for illegal immigrants under the more “flexible” reasonable search rather than where the illegal is “discovered” i.e. arrested, is in place. Then, later I saw a clip of Prince William County Police Chief Charlie Deane summing up the new police law (I’m paraphrasing) — all those arrested in Prince William County irrespective of whether they’re a legal county resident or illegal will have their immigration status checked. This was seen by advocates of immigration reform as a positive way of getting around “reasonable search.” What was not mentioned is how much this additional red tape would cost.
Why all this ruckus in Prince William County and not Fairfax or surrounding counties? Does it have anything to do with the continued pace of construction/rezonings and the mid to high housing market values in Prince William County driving out illegals to make more room for the affluent market? Or is it because of how many illegal immigrants are availing themselves freely of public services? Or the level of illegal crime in Prince William County? All the above?
I’ll say this: If “reasonable search” is partially circumvented, then without the transparency of the camera it is reckless and absurd to be checking on the immigration status of anybody who is arrested — this is fancy footwork to fit a preconceived policy.
It seems to me that Stewart is purposefully exploiting this issue for potential political gain. Imagine a nation checking the immigration status of anybody arrested as well as using reasonable or probable cause.
This has the contour of a police state.
My own view is this is a matter of political expediency and political ambition and I hope it will flop and other measures will be found which reflect a more sound policy. If Prince William County’s new illegal
immigration policy became “national” it would induce more nativism and xenophobia — two things which should be vigilantly guarded against.
MICHAEL RAGLAND
Triangle
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