Anne Arundel's Stance on Immigrants
Saturday, July 5, 2008; Page A14

The July 1 Metro article "Authorities Detain 45 in Immigration Raid at Painting Company," regarding the June 30 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid in Anne Arundel County, did not give a complete picture of the county administration's position on legal and illegal immigrants.

The article said the administration "cut county grants to nonprofit agencies that offered social services to Spanish-speaking residents."

This action applied to the fiscal 2008 budget. The fiscal 2009 budget contains funding for the Center for Help, which provides assistance to immigrants who play by the rules and seek citizenship through legal channels.

My administration has also conducted seminars for our business community to help employers comply with federal and local employment requirements.

These actions demonstrate that the county has a fair and balanced approach to immigration issues, cracking down hard on illegal immigration while assisting legal immigrants and those who hire them.

JOHN R. LEOPOLD
County Executive (R)
Anne Arundel County
Annapolis, MD
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