Officials weigh in on illegal immigration

By Bethany Rodgers
News-Post Staff


Tough talk on illegal immigration has boomed from county government recently, but opinions differ about whether the statements foreshadow drastic changes or simply ring hollow.

After a man identified as an illegal immigrant was arrested on murder charges, commissioners surged forward to make Frederick County less friendly to those in the country illicitly.

"We will be working with the sheriff and working with the county attorney to see if there's anything more the county can do to protect our way of life," Commissioners President Blaine Young said at a Nov. 3 county board meeting.

Officials came up with a spectrum of possible regulations, ordinances and policies, and then forwarded the proposals -- which range from banning day labor sites to prohibiting landlords from renting to illegal immigrants -- to the county attorney for review.

So far, the legal advisers are unsure how seaworthy the proposals are and continue to research the relevant state and federal laws.

Commissioner David Gray, often the dissenting voice on the county board, said many of the ideas signal political posturing rather than progress. The saber rattling likely won't lead to much change, he predicted.

But for elected officials, tough talk about illegal immigration can pay off even if it never sparks action, according to Todd Eberly, political science professor at St. Mary's College of Maryland.

"Typically during troubling economic times when people have a high level of anxiety, there tend to be public backlashes against immigrant groups, whether legal or illegal," Eberly said. "For elected officials, there is everything to gain and nothing to lose by making high-profile statements about illegal immigration."

Voters are likely to drop the issue when the economy turns around, so politicians need not worry that the empty rhetoric will come back to haunt them, he added.

Many officials, however, have followed through on these proposals, Young pointed out.

"It's not saber rattling, because we're aware of initiatives that have been done across the country that may be applicable," he said. "That's a typical response by those who don't want to do something about a problem."

Demanding that employers check employee work authorization against federal records is one idea that has popped up in other places. Four states -- Arizona, Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina -- have passed laws requiring all employers to vet new hires with the federal database check called E-Verify. Many more states call on government contractors or businesses of certain sizes to use the system.

But Maryland legislators have not been so quick to embrace E-Verify. During the 2011 legislative session, a bill that would have affected state contractors flopped after an unfavorable report from a Senate committee.

Delegate Kathy Afzali said next year she might introduce a similar bill that would apply to all employers, but she said she was glad to see the Frederick County Commissioners forge ahead with their own effort.

"It's a hard sell in Annapolis," Afzali said of measures to crack down on illegal immigration. "If local leaders don't stand up ... then who's going to?"

Taxpayer-funded education and social services should benefit U.S. citizens in the county and not illegal immigrants, Afzali said, and in trying economic times, every dollar counts.

Local leaders also might try to revive a failed proposal requiring all county documents to be written only in English. The drafted ordinance fizzled in 2008 in favor of a resolution recognizing English as the official and primary language of the government.

Young said he thinks as little taxpayer money as possible should be spent translating county papers.

Last fiscal year, the county spent more than $46,000 for foreign language interpretation services, and the previous year, the outlay topped $53,000. But some believe the county should let the federal government handle immigration issues.

State Sen. Ron Young would like to see the U.S. government offer a path to citizenship. Local rules that prevent immigrants from seeking a job can cause a host of problems, he said.

"If you tell them they can't work, but they stay here, are they going to end up on a social program?" he said. "Working under the table? Stealing?"
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