Call for Action on Immigration

Assertive, Not Aggressive, Approach Favored by Most

Most of the candidates for the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors think that additional county action is needed to address problems associated with illegal immigration, according to their responses to a questionnaire.

But all of them stopped well short of proposing an approach as aggressive as the one being taken in neighboring Prince William County, where the board has voted to have county police officers check the immigration status of anyone who breaks the law.

And although several candidates said the Loudoun board should continue its review of county services being provided to undocumented residents, none suggested any specific services that should be withheld.

The candidates responded via e-mail to a questionnaire from loudounextra.com, The Washington Post's Web site for Loudoun news. They were asked what they considered the county's role to be in enforcing immigration laws. Mark A. Albright, the Republican running in the Catoctin District, was the only one of the 20 candidates who did not answer the questionnaire.

Loudoun supervisors in July unanimously passed a resolution to study cutting off county services to illegal immigrants and stepping up deportations of those who commit crimes. They have not taken any action, and they are scheduled to resume discussion of the issue after the Nov. 6 election.

In their responses, most of the candidates who favored tougher action proposed steps such as strengthening enforcement of rules against crowding of homes and requiring county contractors to certify that all their employees are legal residents.

Eugene A. Delgaudio (R), the incumbent in the Sterling District, said he supported both approaches. He also cited his sponsorship of the July board resolution and his efforts to shut down the day-laborer center in Herndon, which closed last month.

His opponent, Democrat Jeanne R. West, also favored a certification requirement for companies doing business with the county, as did Supervisor Lori L. Waters, the Republican incumbent in Broad Run. Waters said that asking contractors to certify the status of their workers "would protect our taxpayers from subsidizing illegal labor."

But Michael J. Firetti, the Republican running for board chairman, was skeptical of that approach, saying that it would add "another layer of bureaucracy" and become "just another cost for taxpayers."

In addition to Delgaudio, the candidates calling for aggressive enforcement of the home crowding ordinance were board Chairman Scott K. York (I), Potomac incumbent Bruce E. Tulloch (R), Catoctin incumbent Sarah "Sally" R. Kurtz (D) and Sugarland Run challenger Susan Klimek Buckley (D).

York said that the maximum fine on landlords who violate the ordinance should be increased by as much as three times the current $2,500 and that the county should adopt "a proactive approach to zoning enforcement as opposed to being complaint-based only."

He also said he supported a bill introduced this year by Sen. Mark R. Herring (D-Loudoun) that would have denied bail to illegal immigrants who commit a felony.