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Councilman seeks local solutions to illegal immigration
09/01/2006
Associated Press

A new town council member has floated proposals that some fear are aimed at the community's growing Hispanic population.

Weeks after taking office July 1, Councilman Steve Jenkins proposed limits on the number of families living in single-family homes. Now he's asking what else Culpeper can do about illegal immigration through local laws.

Jenkins is embracing laws adopted in Hazleton, Pa., and a growing number of other cities and towns. In July, the northeastern Pennsylvania city passed ordinances requiring that city documents be printed in English and levying fines for landlords who rent to illegal immigrants, among other measures. Local governments from California to Idaho to Florida are weighing similar steps.

Jenkins is sponsoring a "town hall" meeting Saturday on similar proposals for Culpeper. In protest, members of the Hispanic community will march.
Kent Willis, executive director of Virginia's American Civil Liberties Union, said the Jenkins' initiative and others like it are rooted in "a newly but deeply developed prejudice against people from other countries."

Jenkins contends he is simply responding to concerns in this community of 15,000 between Charlottesville and Washington, D.C.
"Culpeper residents are concerned about illegal immigrants in the community," said Jenkins, who described himself as "a homegrown guy, born and raised in Culpeper."

Culpeper County's Hispanic population has more than doubled since 2000, reaching about 2,345 of the county's 42,530 residents, or 5.5 percent.
Resident Martin Bernal, a Culpeper grocery owner, acts as an intermediary for local Latinos and other town residents.
"I don't know what Mr. Steve Jenkins has against Hispanics," Bernal said. "We need to work on this matter."

Jenkins visited Bernal's store this week.
"United, we can all accomplish a lot more," Jenkins said. "We met and they now feel more comfortable that I met with them.
"It's not about anything other than making things legal and fair. It's about illegal immigrants. It's not about legal immigrants."

Jenkins invited Bernal and other Hispanics to attend his town hall meeting. A contingency of local Hispanics will do just that, Bernal said — but after they march.

"We don't want to make it look like a confrontation," Bernal said. "We just want to listen to his ideas. We don't want to interrupt traffic or show something bad — we want to do it right."

Town Councilman Chris Snider said he does not support establishing laws in Culpeper like those in Pennsylvania.

"Once there is any mention of race, nationality, gender or age in crafting ordinances or codes we are violating the Constitution, which was written to protect all people — not just WASPS," he said.