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04-30-2010, 10:23 AM #1
VA-Immigration Still A Divisive Issue Nationwide
Immigration Still A Divisive Issue Nationwide
Andrea McCarren 3 hrs ago Read Comments (2) Recommend
WOODBRIDGE, Va. (WUSA) -- Nationwide, there's been explosive reaction to Arizona's new immigration law, the toughest in the nation.
It makes it a state crime for illegal immigrants to be in the country and allows Arizona law enforcement officials to detain those suspected of being here illegally, unless they can prove otherwise.
Closer to home, Prince William County, Virginia, became a dramatic immigration test case three years ago. When the county passed a bill in 2007 similar to Arizona's new law, there were demonstrations expressing both outrage and praise for the unprecedented move.
"Since the law went into effect, we had thousands of illegal aliens leaving the community, our violent crime rate dropped by an astounding 38% in two years," said Corey Stewart, the Chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, and an architect of the plan.
Stewart says the community has been undeniably transformed, for the better. More than 2,300 hundred illegal immigrants have been deported.
"We ended up changing our policy just a little bit to check essentially everybody who's arrested for any crime whatsoever. That eliminated the possibility of racial profiling and protected us from a legal perspective," explained Stewart.
"Our county was severely hurt economically. Many, many people left this county," said Nancy Lyall of the group, Mexicans Without Borders. "Prince William County has had some of the biggest depreciation of homes of anywhere in this area."
Lyall says the law devastated Prince William County and continues to undermine public safety.
"People don't come forward to testify as witnesses," she said. "They're afraid to do that. They're afraid to report crime."
The issue is clearly divisive. While Stewart says Arizona's new law paves the way for a bright future, Lyall says Arizona is repeating its racist history. For years, it was criticized for not celebrating Martin Luther King Day as a holiday, setting off a nationwide boycott of the state.
"Black people know what Arizona did to them and now Latino people see what Arizona is trying to do to them," said Lyall. "And they see it's all based on race."
Countered Stewart, "What happened in Prince William County and the after-effects of what happened in Prince William County are kind of like a crystal ball into what's going to happen in Arizona."
Public sentiment is mixed. A nationwide Gallup Poll just released indicates that 51% of Americans are in favor of the new Arizona law, 39% oppose it.
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04-30-2010, 10:40 AM #2
Illegal aliens must be deported
It should not be divisive Issue. Here the problem is that illegal aliens do not obey our immigration laws. If a person does not obey any law, that person is sent to jail. But that person does not ask the government to grant him/her amnesty because they broke the law. The same standard has to be enforced regarding immigration laws. We cannot change the laws because illegal aliens do not respect them. Every 10 years do we have to change our immigration laws because illegals do not obey them? NO, I do not think so. They have to respect our laws and if they don't then the government must enforce current immigration laws and deport illegal aliens. WE DO NOT NEED NEW LAWS. NO TO AMNESTY.
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04-30-2010, 10:50 AM #3
Re: VA-Immigration Still A Divisive Issue Nationwide
Many, many people left this county," said Nancy Lyall of the group, Mexicans Without Borders.
"Prince William County has had some of the biggest depreciation of homes of anywhere in this area."Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)
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