New Prince William Delegate Breaks 50th District's Mold

The council approved the ordinance but quickly repealed it under pressure from civil rights groups. Nonetheless, Manassas is being investigated by the Justice Department for alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act, and civil suits are likely to follow. Complaints against the city have also been lodged with the Department of Education by parents who say city schools illegally disclosed confidential student information to zoning inspectors.

Miller "was very adamant in his concern for the impact of illegal immigration," said council member J. Steven Randolph (I). "That was one issue in which his leadership moved the council quicker than it might have moved otherwise. Some of the rest of us were taking a more cautious view."

During the campaign for the 50th District seat in the fall, Miller's Democratic opponent, Jeanette Rishell, sought to depict him as a "right-wing ideologue" out of sync with Parrish's legacy. Miller styles himself as a conservative Republican, but he bristled at that accusation, saying that he is open to other points of view and eager to work across the aisle, as Parrish did.

But with Democrats posting gains across Northern Virginia, party leaders would love to wrest control of the 50th from Miller this fall, when Parrish's two-year term expires, and are likely to continue that line of attack. "If Delegate Miller sides with the politics of extremism, I would expect a competitive race this fall," said Del. Brian J. Moran (D-Alexandria). "Whether on transportation or immigration, we need moderation on every issue. That's how Harry Parrish led."

During the assembly session, Miller plans to introduce legislation to provide immigration and customs enforcement training to state police and prison staff, which would allow them to expedite deportation proceedings for illegal immigrants who commit violent or other serious felonies. "We want to go after the criminal element of the illegal immigrant community," Miller explained. "If you're coming to commit crimes and wreak havoc, you most certainly should be deported."

Although Miller believes that illegal immigration should be sufficient cause for deportation, he is not proposing a large-scale roundup of undocumented workers. He called it a misconception "that we'll have police raiding the kitchens of restaurants."

In preparation for his trip to Richmond, Miller recently paid a visit to the office of longtime state Sen. Charles J. Colgan (D-Prince William), who was a close friend of Parrish's. Miller and Colgan disagreed over tax increases to fund transportation, but the meeting was friendly. Still, Colgan said he expected Miller to be more conservative than his predecessor.

"Harry and I didn't vary more than 2 percent on our voting records," said Colgan, 80. "I knew what Harry would do before he did it.

"Jackson is going to vote differently than I will on most issues," he said, "but I think we'll get along fine."