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2 Va. Counties OK Immigration Crackdown
Although Manassas has a separate government from Prince William County, many immigrants like Martinez do not understand the distinction. Those who do say they are concerned because work, friends and daily errands take them into Prince William County and because they fear the city could follow the county's lead.
In Loudoun and Prince William, officials are still studying which public services legally can be withheld and how such restrictions could be implemented.
  Jasmine Zamora, 17, left, looks out from the door of their apartment as her mother Ines Olivia Martinez, gets a hug from her son Rafael Zamora, 13, at their apartment in Manassas, Va. on Wednesday, July 25, 2007. Martinez moved her family from Mexico to Virginia two years ago and is concerned about measures passed this July by Prince William and Loudoun counties to deny a potentially wide range of public services to illegal immigrants. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (Jacquelyn Martin - AP) Life Along 'La Linea' The U.S.-Mexico border is at the forefront of a growing debate over U.S. immigration and border security reform. |
The resolutions say emergency medical care will not be denied, and federal restrictions already control many other services. For instance, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that children can't be kept out of school on the basis of immigration status, while food stamps are off-limits to illegal immigrants.
The status of other services, such as health care for the uninsured, libraries and parks, are less clear-cut.
Critics say limiting access to facilities would make the counties feel like police states for everyone who sets foot there.
"Everywhere people step, they have to show their documents and prove their right to be there," said John Trasvina, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Prince William County Police Chief Charlie T. Deane has warned that the crackdown could backfire.
The resolution in his county includes a provision instructing police to investigate the immigration status of anyone they detain if there is probable cause to believe the person is in the country illegally.
Deane said the measure could diminish immigrants' trust in police and make them reluctant to cooperate as witnesses. He also said denying recreational services could lead to a rise in the number of young people turning to crime.
Martinez said some of her friends and relatives have moved out of Prince William County because of the measure. Others are gearing up for a fight.
Hispanic activists are planning a weeklong boycott of all nonimmigrant, non-Hispanic businesses in Prince William County beginning Monday and a one-day general labor strike in October.
"We came to better ourselves as human beings because we also want a better life for our children," said Rocio Martinez-Lopez, 35, Martinez's sister. "People say, `We're going to another state.' I tell them, `No, we have to fight.'"
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On the Net:
Prince William County: http:/
Loudoun County: http:/
