ARLINGTON – Elected officials in
Northern Virginia’s most famously
liberal county have strongly criticized
their counterparts elsewhere in the
region over efforts to crack down on
illegal immigration.
Tuesday’s rebuke from Arlington
County came as Prince William
County considered how to implement
an anti-illegal immigration resolution
passed the summer. Prince William
Police Chief Charlie T. Deane
presented the county board with his
plan for checking the immigration
status of people detained by police for
misdemeanors and traffic violations.
The Prince William board passed
a resolution in July instructing police
to check the immigration status of all
violators if there is probable cause and
instructing county staff to look at what
kind of county services could be denied
to illegal immigrants. Neighboring
Loudoun County followed suit with
a similar resolution seeking to deny
services.
The Arlington County Board on
Tuesday called the efforts “politically
inspired” and “irresponsible.”
The five board members, all Democrats,
unanimously backed a resolution
calling on elected officials elsewhere
to “promote the integration of immigrants”
instead of enacting rules
they said would be divisive.
They said the county would continue
to prosecute illegal immigrants who
commit crimes and report them to
federal officials. But they said they would
do so in a way that treats all residents
“with human dignity and respect.”
The American Civil Liberties Union
of Virginia criticized the proposal,
saying it implies that everyone in
the county must carry proof of legal
residency at all times. The group also
expressed concern that the policy may
be unconstitutional because it would
allow police to extend someone’s time
in detention while they investigate
immigration status.