NumbersUSA Joins The Fight In Richmond
By Greg L | 22 February 2008 | Illegal Aliens, Virginia Senate | 5 Comments

NumbersUSA, with thousands of members in Virginia has joined in the effort to get HB 623 through the Senate Courts of Justice Committee. On top of the efforts currently underway by Save The Old Dominion, this should help put the pressure on our elected officials to make the sensible choice and support the systematic deportation of criminal illegal aliens rather than allowing too many of them to be released back into our communities. Because the Section 287(g) Program which would establish this screening and deportation process is not in place, it took special action by Attorney General Bob McDonnell to recently identify and process for deportation 173 criminal alien sex offenders that either had been released and put on the Virginia Sex Offender Registry, or were due to be released. If this program is adopted in Virginia, that screening and deportation process would be a matter of course, rather than a special, and perhaps one-time effort.

Here is their alert:

Virginia House Bill 623, which would authorize Virginia’s participation in the Section 287(g) Program to allow police to work with the federal government to screen for illegal aliens, passed by a vote of 88-11. It is now on Monday’s docket at the Senate Courts of Justice Committee. Instead of releasing criminal illegal aliens who commit serious felonies back into our communities after they have served their sentences, by participating in the federal Section 287(g) Program, the Commonwealth would instead have a rigorous process in place that would screen for illegal aliens and process for deportation those who are identified.

After passing the House 88-11, we are hopeful that HB 623 can achieve a similar veto-proof majority vote in the Senate. NumbersUSA urges you to support this important legislation by calling all of the following Senators as soon as possible. You will probably speak with a staffer to whom you should give some reasons for your support of HB 623 and conclude by saying,

[b]“Please ask the Senator to vote YES on HB 623 in support of 287(g).[/b] Tell the Senator that I will be very grateful for a YES vote.â€