Pr. William Officials Meet With Latino Families to Address Concerns

Mexican consul Enrique Escorza and Prince William County police chief Charlie T. Deane met last night at a Woodbridge shopping center to address concerns of Latino families about the county's new policies targeting illegal immigrants. But afterward, many of those attending the meeting said it had done little to clear up the confusion about the policies.

About 100 people crammed into a narrow corridor to hear Deane explain the measures, which immigrants say have confused the community and introduced fears that they will be singled out by police for racial profiling and then deported.

Escorza said he offered to host the meeting with Deane to quell some of those fears and clear up misperceptions that officers would be conducting immigration sweeps or pulling over drivers simply because of their skin color. The county's new police policies went into effect this month, directing county police to check a suspect's immigration status if they believe the person is an illegal immigrant.

"We're here to provide information and clear up confusion," said Escorza, stressing that he was there as a facilitator. "The whole objective is to straighten things out."

Deane faced questions from county residents wanting to know how officers would treat them in the event of a car accident, or a domestic disturbance. Many expressed frustration afterward that there were few clear-cut answers to the scenarios they raised, given that the new policy gives officers the discretion to decide when they have probable cause to believe the person is in the county illegally.

"We're confused," said Concepcion Gomez, 50, a Salvadoran-born Woodbridge resident who said he is a U.S. citizen. "The chief says one thing, but when the officers stop you, maybe they'll do what he says, maybe not."

The crowd also was upset by Deane's statement that officers would consider a suspect's ability to speak English as one of the factors used to decide whether or not to investigate their residency status.

"The law around this issue is complex," said Deane, adding that he has already held 30 community outreach meetings and plans to conduct more.

Earlier in the day, he faced harsh criticism from some community members for the decision to attend an event hosted by the Mexican consulate.

"This is simply part of our ongoing public education effort," said Deane.