Politics from the Palouse to Puget Sound

Saturday, August 25, 2007

"2 Va. counties OK immigration crackdown"

Earlier this year, I was proud of Congressman Virgil Goode, who is from my hometown of Rocky Mount, VA for standing up to the bullies of CAIR.

Today, there is story concerning another place where I used to live, Prince William County, VA, that makes me proud as well.

According to the AP:
Resolutions to deny a potentially wide range of public services to illegal immigrants have thrust two northern Virginia counties into the nation's immigration debate. The measures passed in July in Prince William and Loudoun counties join a flurry of recent efforts by local governments nationwide that believe the federal government has not done enough to stop illegal immigration.

[...]

Critics say the resolutions are a racist reaction to profound demographic changes in Prince William and Loudoun, two of the fastest-growing counties in the Washington area. Together, the counties account for 8 percent of Virginia's population, with more than 600,000 residents.

According to census estimates released this month, Prince William's Hispanic population has more than doubled since 2000, to nearly 70,000 last year. Non-Hispanic whites account for a little more than half of the population, down from about two-thirds in 2000. In Loudoun, the share of minorities increased from 20 percent to 32 percent.

Proponents blame illegal immigrants for changing the character of the region, accusing them of packing too many people into single-family homes and failing to learn English.

"It's reached a boiling point - or a boil-over point," said Supervisor John T. Stirrup, who sponsored the Prince William measure.

[...]

The resolution [in Prince William 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.

[...]

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.

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