Va. Coalition To Focus On Illegal Immigration

But others who have attended coalition meetings said they are tired of talking about the issue and want something done. "People want action," said F. Steve Jenkins, the Culpeper Town Council member who proposed creating the coalition last spring.

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Jenkins said the group is not interested in debating the pros and cons of immigration and makes a clear distinction between legal "immigrants" and "aliens" -- what they say is the correct term for illegal immigrants. They welcome the former but not the latter. Jenkins's fellow council members did not appoint him as a representative, so he attends as an observer.

Along with DeBenedittis, outgoing Loudoun Supervisor Bruce E. Tulloch (R-Potomac) was the only other elected official from Northern Virginia to attend the meeting last week. Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart (R) said the county has not joined because of concerns about future lawsuits over its plan, scheduled to go into effect early next year, that increases local enforcement and denies certain public services to illegal immigrants.

Though several of its participants are Republicans, the coalition has no party affiliation, and it includes police officials and county administrators as well as elected representatives.

Coalition members voted during that session to create committees for safety, law enforcement and public services, each with the goal of identifying the impact of illegal immigration and recommending ways to discourage it. Zoning violations, hiring practices and crime will be examined, members said.

"There are a lot of impacts, and some things we can't address," DeBenedittis said. "But the longer the federal government continues to avoid the issue, the more impact it has on local governments."

Culpeper County Administrator Frank Bossio said that the coalition is looking to expand and has a lot of work to do before it can make policy recommendations.

"There's an awful lot of rhetoric on both sides of the issue," he said. "Sometimes there are facts there, sometimes there's just emotion. Our goal is to act -- but to act with information, data and forethought."

With no plans to meet this month, Bossio said the coalition will not have time to develop legislative proposals for the General Assembly session, which begins Jan. 9.