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Immigration consortium has its first meeting

Coalition on immigrants holds first meeting


Date published: 10/26/2007

BY DONNIE JOHNSTON

The Coalition on Illegal Immigration came to two conclusions at its initial meeting in Culpeper yesterday.

Representatives from a dozen jurisdictions agreed that there is a big problem that is getting only bigger, and that the federal government, which is charged with enforcing immigration laws, is doing little about the situation.

In what amounted to a three-hour therapy session, about the only thing the members of this group didn't agree on was, ironically, the name of the coalition.

"Illegal alien is the proper term," said Herndon Town Councilman Dave Kirby. "There's no such thing as an illegal immigrant according to the IRS because all immigrants are eventually issued a green card. An alien enters this country illegally and is deportable."

That point clarified, the 30 men and women set about releasing their frustrations concerning problems such as 30 Hispanic males living in a single house, their cars cluttering streets and yards and skyrocketing cost of providing government services for undocumented workers.

While the meeting was called (by the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors) in an attempt to take a legislative approach to the problem, most at the meeting agreed that, for the most part, there are ample laws already on the books to deal with the situation.

"[Immigration and Customs Enforcement] just doesn't have the manpower to deal with it," said Herndon Vice-Mayor Dennis Husch.

He said that prompted his town to have seven of its policemen trained by ICE to determine the legal status of those arrested for Class 2 felonies and driving under the influence, and fill out the necessary paperwork.

That, Husch said, almost forced ICE officials to step in and begin deportation procedures. He added, however, that an ICE certified jail--like Fairfax County operates--is necessary to bring immigration enforcement to a local level.

Spotsylvania County Administrator Randy Wheeler said that the Rappahannock Regional Jail was "moving in that direction."

Most agreed, however, that even illegal alien enforcement on a local level is not an end-all solution. The job demands manpower, costs taxpayer dollars and is often futile.

Culpeper County Administrator Frank Bossio told of a North Carolina sheriff who processed about 2,000 illegal aliens who were supposed to have their deportation cases heard in a federal court in Atlanta.


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Date published: 10/26/2007


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Health and Education (posted by DeanFetterolf , Oct. 26, 2007 2:04 pm)   
"The fact that hospitals and schools are providing limited information concerning illegal aliens only added to their frustrations." Since health care and education cannot be denied regardless of status there is no need to keep the statistics. In fact it is probably illegal for them to ask.

But how are rich folk gonna get their hedges (posted by Tamerlane , Oct. 26, 2007 6:36 am)   
trimmed cheap without all the "undocumented WORKERS" And what about all the Dept of Corrections folk who will be laid off since 21% of the contents of our prisons are illegals? I say, strap em in a round chute, hook up the static line, fly a C-130 S of Brownsville or San Ysidro for 30 minutes down the ramp they go. Former El Supremo Vicente Fox and all the other professional liars won't solve the problem: Mexico's Govt and upper society s**ks.

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