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Stuart embraces Howell immigration plan

Stuart backs Howell's immigration plan

Date published: 10/18/2007

BY CHELYEN DAVIS

House Speaker Bill Howell is taking the Republican caucus's immigration proposals on the road.

Howell held a press conference in Stafford County yesterday with Republican state Senate candidate Richard Stuart, Del. Mark Cole, and candidates for local office. They all said they support proposals to combat illegal immigration that were first announced by Howell and other Republican lawmakers in Richmond several weeks ago.

Those proposals include requiring at least one person on-duty in all sheriff's offices to be trained to identify, detain and start deportation proceedings on illegal immigrants who are arrested for a crime.

They also want a presumption against bail for illegal offenders; more use of national databases to help identify criminal illegal immigrants; prohibiting illegal immigrants from attending public colleges; and suspending the business licenses of any company that is convicted under federal law of hiring illegal immigrants.

Immigration law is the federal government's responsibility, but many state and local officials are frustrated at the lack of enforcement.

Thus, the issue has become a big one in campaigns this year as candidates seek ways to fight the problem at the local and state levels.

"We have got to crack down on employers who are hiring illegal immigrants," said Stuart, a candidate for the 28th state Senate seat. "We've got to take proactive steps."

Stuart wants to make the federal E-verify system--by which employers can check a potential employee's Social Security number against the federal database; illegal immigrants would not have a valid number--more user-friendly for employers.

Several of the Republican proposals--those addressing crime--were similar to recommendations from the Crime Commission's illegal immigration task force Tuesday. Those recommendations will go through the full Crime Commission and will turn up as legislation in the next session in January.

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Date published: 10/18/2007