Thread: VA: Council urges action on illegal immigrants

Council urges action on illegal immigrants

By Ed Farrell
The Winchester Star

Sep 12, 2007
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Winchester — Melding concern with frustration, the City Council on Tuesday adopted a comprehensive policy statement regarding illegal immigrants, and asked federal officials to "step up" and address the problem.

The strongly worded statement includes phrases such as "the ever-growing segment of illegal Hispanic immigrants is at the heart of many of the city’s biggest problems" and "many illegal aliens engage in criminal activity."

It also argues that illegal immigration "has and continues to wreak havoc upon our city from a social, economic and organizational perspective."

The resolution also asks federal authorities to "provide sufficient agents to address the illegal immigrant detainees identified by federal, state or local officials," to "provide sufficient funding to local law enforcement to assist in this federal responsibility," and to "provide supplemental funding to localities for the cost of detaining and transporting the illegal immigration detainees."

In debating the resolution, several councilors expressed concerns about specifically targeting Hispanics, and ultimately succeeded in having two references to that ethnic group removed from a subsequent "appendix" that will be forwarded to state and federal officials.

Included in the appendix is a statement highlighting the cost of providing educational services to non-English-speaking public school students while being expected to adhere to federal standards.

"I think we’re prepared to handle that burden," said council President Charles T. Gaynor, "but the aspect we find most detestable is that we’re required to educate them to standards, and at the same success rate, as English-speaking students, and if we do not, we’re criticized by the same people."

The approval of the policy statement follows the city government’s decision to join a regional coalition to seek legislative solutions to problems caused by illegal immigrants.

Councilor Richard S. "Dick" Helm offered strong opposition to using the term "Hispanic" in the proposal, calling it "a serious boil on this document that needs to be lanced."

A roll call vote on the matter supported Helm’s motion, and all specific references to Hispanics were removed.

In a confusing sequence of motions and votes, the board accepted an amendment offered by Councilor Timothy S. Coyne to append the more strident demands to federal authorities into the resolution; then a second motion separated a lengthy addendum into an independent "appendix" that will be forwarded to state and federal officials.

That motion, however, failed to gain unanimous approval, since several members said they felt uncomfortable with some of the conclusions offered as fact.

Councilor Art Major said it was vital that the city be accurate in all of its statements, since "we’re going to be picked at no matter what we do."

Major took aim at several statements that portrayed the federal Immigration, Customs, and Enforcement agency’s illegal immigration identification program for local agencies as ineffective.

"I think there are statements here that are inaccurate," Major said of the statement drafted by City Attorney Anthony Williams. "The ICE statement is, right off the bat, incorrect. And any incorrect aspect opens us up for criticism."

Major also questioned attributing statements to unnamed sources and quoting out-of-town newspapers as statements of fact.

A statement, he said, that concluded ICE training "does nothing more than permit local and state government law enforcement to bear the burden of performing all of the legwork ... at the expense of the locality" was sure to be opposed by federal officials.

Councilor Evan H. Clark concurred: "I think the attachment could use some work."

Despite the concerns, the board adopted the appendix in a 7-4 vote, with councilors Stewart R. Masters and Coyne joining Clark and Major in opposition.

Coyne later tried to have the entire resolution tabled to allow further study. That sparked a testy exchange with Gaynor over procedure before Coyne agreed to withdraw his motion.

Even after the vote, the discussion continued, with Masters stating that he feared the inaccuracies would weaken the resolution’s intent.

"I don’t want to lose the essence of what we have here," he said, "only to have it challenged on this little point and that little point."

Major reiterated that his only concern was accuracy: "If this is going to be our policy, I want to be darn sure we’re correct.

"I’m all for it. Let’s just make sure our facts are straight."

Attending the meeting in Rouss City Hall were Gaynor, Coyne, Masters, Helm, Clark, Major, Elizabeth A. Minor, Carolyn T. Griffin, Jeffrey B. Buettner, L.D. "Rick" Nelson, and Michael L. Butler.

http://www.winchesterstar.com/article_d ... cleID=1027

At least they recognize the problem. Too bad they had to be so PC. It isn't raciest if it is true. My husband says he would not be offended if a city council that was having problems with illegal Irish used the term Irish. Truth is truth.

Originally Posted by cayla99

At least they recognize the problem. Too bad they had to be so PC. It isn't raciest if it is true. My husband says he would not be offended if a city council that was having problems with illegal Irish used the term Irish. Truth is truth.

Strange isn't it how they can generalize us yet we can't point out the glaringly obvious about them.
Political correctness will be the downfall of our country if we don't grow up and start saying facts are facts,deal with it.In fact political correctness is not free speech and we all need to stop fearing the pc police will "get us".

The illegals use our 1st amendment freely why shouldn't we??





Head 'em up,move 'em out Rawhide!

they were right to take the hispanic reference out
racism
profiling
You dont need to give the ACLU ammunition.

This city amendment should apply to all.

I applaud them for moving forward.

They were right and so are you JRhino about taking out the specific race, it should apply to all illegals.
Last night when I replied I was not clear ,what I meant to say was how the illegals get upset and offended by being referred to as "illegal", like it is a slur, when they repeatedly call US citizens racist,xenophobe and even use racial terms towards us.
Sorry I didn't clarify that better.




Head 'em up,move 'em out Rawhide!