Loudoun's Plans to Cut Services To Immigrants Face Limitations

By Sandhya Somashekhar
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 1, 2007; B01



The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors will be unable to deny most services to illegal immigrants, according to a report released yesterday.

The board voted in July to crack down on illegal immigrants who commit crimes and receive county benefits. But the report says that in most programs and services, such as food stamps and Medicaid, federal law already requires the county to confirm a person's legal immigration status before offering services. In other cases, such as child protective services, the county is obligated to offer services regardless of the recipients' residency status.

Moreover, the report says, implementing harsh regulations on the few services that the county can limit -- homeless and youth sports programs, for example -- could have negative consequences on public health and safety.

The report by the county administration, prepared at the request of the supervisors, will be the basis for a discussion Tuesday, when the board begins to consider policy changes designed to push illegal immigrants out of the county.

Yesterday, some supervisors said they were not deterred by the limitations expressed in the report and vowed to take action in the fall, even if it means facing legal challenges or spending public money.

"I'm not surprised the list was short. I was sort of expecting it," said Supervisor Mick Staton Jr. (R-Sugarland Run), one of the authors of the resolution. "But I'm determined to do something about this problem that the federal government has saddled us with."

Board Chairman Scott K. York (I) warned against taking a costly route for political gain. All nine members of the board are up for reelection Nov. 6, and many have made illegal immigration a central campaign issue.

"We've got a problem that's got to be solved, but we have to be smart in how we solve it," York said. "We need to ensure what we are doing will be legally upheld, and we need to ensure that it was sound reasoning that brought this about, not some political thing."

The report does not offer an estimate of what illegal immigrants cost the county. However, it includes an analysis by a similar-size county that puts the figure at about $2 million -- not including the cost of education, which makes up the bulk of most county budgets.

The report details a few actions the county can take to tighten restrictions. The staff recommends requiring contractors who do business with the county to pledge that they are following federal and state immigration laws. It also recommends that the supervisors hire an immigration expert to guide them through the policy changes.

The largest program that the county has the authority to restrict is parks and recreation, which includes summer camps and youth sports. County officials also have the authority to limit some homeless programs and commuter bus services, the report says.

But the report also says that children could be left at home unattended if excluded from after-school programs, and homeless illegal immigrants could be left on the streets. And the more documentation that is required to get services, the longer the lines will be at county offices, it says.

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