Thread: More Fallout From Immigrant Policy

More Fallout From Immigrant Policy
Top Supervisor Feuds With Police Chief Over Meeting With Consul, Residents

By Nick Miroff and Kristen Mack
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, March 29, 2008; B05

Tensions created by Prince William County's crackdown on illegal immigration were on awkward display this week, when a community meeting hosted by police and the Mexican consulate produced new frustrations among immigrants -- and among the county's top officials.

Police Chief Charlie T. Deane and Mexican consul Enrique Escorza said the meeting Thursday was held to clear up misinformation and quell fears about the scope of the county's policies on illegal immigration. But afterward, many attendees said they were even more troubled and confused.

Meanwhile, a separate battle played out behind the scenes over opposition to the meeting from Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large).

Stewart, the leading advocate of the county's new policies, tried to block the gathering while criticizing Deane for meeting with "foreign governmental officials." He called Escorza's presence "a violation of U.S. sovereignty," saying he had first learned of the event in a local newspaper Thursday morning.

"I just hope the chief has made sure he's following diplomatic protocols and is in compliance with federal law," Stewart said. "Clearly, this is not public outreach. The Mexican government isn't part of the Prince William County community."

The dispute sharpened when Stewart e-mailed Deane a list of questions Thursday that he wanted answered by 7 p.m., including whether the State Department had been notified and whether Deane had met with other foreign officials. Stewart also wanted a full accounting of Deane's communications with Escorza.

Deane did not provide a written response, Stewart said, but the men spoke by phone before the meeting, which Deane declined to cancel. Stewart did not attend the meeting.

Meetings with consular officials who represent members of the county's immigrant population are a routine part of his job, Deane said, and Thursday's was one of dozens of informational sessions he has organized to explain the county's immigration policy -- something supervisors, including Stewart, directed him to do when they approved the policy last year.

"This is simply part of our ongoing public education campaign," Deane said. "It's not like I'm renegotiating NAFTA."

Stewart's criticism and questioning of Deane also set off an e-mail exchange among county officials, who quickly took sides. Supervisor John D. Jenkins (D-Neabsco) defended Deane, saying, "The resolution directed him to get out and talk to people."

Jenkins said Stewart "exercised poor judgment" by asking Deane not to attend the meeting.

"The chairman cannot unilaterally issue a directive to staff. He is not the spokesman for the county," Jenkins said. "It's inappropriate. The chief does not work for any board member; he works for the county executive."

Last fall, Stewart was successful in blocking an attempt by the Mexican government to send a human rights delegation to Prince William after the county approved the crackdown measures, which deny certain services to those residing in the county illegally and increase immigration checks by police.

On Thursday, however, Stewart's concerns about the legality of Deane's appearance with Escorza were dismissed.

"There was no reason not to go, because it was consistent with the other meetings that have been held," Assistant County Executive Susan L. Roltsch said.

Deane noted that he met with nearly a dozen consular officials as recently as June without any objection from Stewart or others. But the political climate in the county has changed substantially since then, as divisions have hardened and many in the county's Latino community say a hostile climate is pushing them out.

More than 100 Latino residents crammed into a narrow corridor at the Hi Mart shopping center along Route 1 in Woodbridge to hear Deane take questions about the policies. Escorza sat next to him, saying he was there to facilitate immigrants' questions. He added that his presence could provide reassurance to those in the community who now fear that any encounter with police could lead to their arrest and deportation.

"I hope [immigrants] feel safe here," said Escorza, who handed out credit-card-size plastic pamphlets with the consulate's phone number and a list of their rights. "We're here to provide services to them and information."

Escorza, who said his consular duties include meeting with local authorities to assist Mexican nationals, said he had not come to the Hi Mart to conduct diplomatic negotiations or make speeches. "This is an informational meeting, not a political rally," he said.

But the meeting did not provide the assurance many of the immigrants in attendance said they were looking for. When Deane urged listeners not to lose trust in county police or to stop reporting crimes, some pointed out that his officers had assisted federal immigration officers in a raid on a Manassas company earlier in the week, blurring the distinction between local police and much-feared federal officers.

Again and again during the two-hour session, the crowd pressed Deane for yes-or-no answers as to whether their immigration status would be checked if they were in a car accident but not at fault, or as the passenger of another driver. But Deane did not offer guarantees, explaining that most cases would be subject to individual officers' discretion. When the crowd heard that a suspect's inability to speak English well would be a factor, a groan went up.

"I think people are even more confused," said Rafael Garrido, 38, a Mexican immigrant who has lived in Woodbridge for 10 years. After listening to the nuances of Deane's explanation of "probable cause," he boiled it down to this dire formula: "If we get pulled over, we're going to be deported."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... tro&sub=AR

If we get pulled over, we're going to be deported.

Which is exactly the way it should be!