Thread: Illegal immigrant emergency in Virginia

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www.potomacnews.com

Illegal immigrant emergency


Keith Walker
Potomac News
Thursday, August 25, 2005


What do you think?

It used to be that the only invasions from the south the Commonwealth had to worry about were the hurricanes that crossed state lines to threaten the Old Dominion with a state of emergency.
Now, according to Delegate Jeffrey M. Frederick, R-Woodbridge, Virginia faces a wave of illegal immigrants comparable to those threatening Arizona and New Mexico.

Both states have declared a state of emergency to help solve their illegal immigration problems.

Frederick and Delegate David B. Albo, R-Fairfax, have called on Gov. Mark Warner to declare a similar emergency in Virginia.

Warner spokesman Kevin Hall said the governor's office has no intention of declaring Virginia under assault.

Frederick's suggestion, Hall said, is "much ado about nothing."

"Virginia is not facing the same kind of illegal immigration issues that prompted the governors in those southwestern states to take the action that they did," Hall said.

In a television interview Wednesday on WUSA 9 News Tonight with Derek McGinty, Frederick said money from the federal government would help local police catch illegal immigrants and turn them over to federal agencies.

"Declaring a state-of-emergency will provide additional federal funding in Homeland Security dollars to combat the issue head-on," said Frederick, the only Latino in the Virginia House of Delegates.

There are an estimated 120,000 illegal immigrants in Virginia, Frederick said.

The U.S.Census Bureau reported that Virginia had a population of 7.3 million in 2003.

Frederick also appeared on CNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, who asked how the law could be enforced at the state level.

As a legislator, Frederick said he could propose bills, but it was up to the executive branch of state government to enforce the laws.

Frederick told Matthews he represented 80,000 people in Prince William County who wanted the law enforced.

Frederick said he would introduce legislation in January that would force Virginia State Police to enforce immigration laws.

Delegate L. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Dale City, said illegal immigration was a problem to be handled at the federal level.

"Secure the darn borders," Lingamfelter said."If we do that we'll strike a major blow against illegal immigration."

If the borders are secure, none of the states would have an illegal immigration problem, Lingamfelter said. "I am totally mystified that this government has not moved adroitly to fix the darned problem," he said

According to a local metropolitan newspaper, New Mexico and Arizona got $1.5 million and $1.75 million respectively in state-of-emergency funding.

Frederick will appear again today on Fox and Friends at 8:45 a.m. on Fox News.

Staff writer Keith Walker can be reached at (703) 878-8063.

Reader's Reaction
What do you think?. Click the link to post your comment.
Posted on 08/26 at 05:53 PM
I AGREE.THERE ARE WAY TO MANY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HERE. THEY COME HERE TO TAKE FROM OUR COUNTRY AND SEND BACK TO THERE COUNTRY .THEN HERE COME MORE WANTING TO CROSS OVER THE BORDER ILLEGAL. THEN THE GOVERMMENT GIVE THEM HELP WITH THOSE BABIES. THAT IS WHY THEY HAVE BABIES EVERY YEAR FOR OUR AMERICAN DOLLARS.THEY GET THOSE HOUSING VOUCHERS AND BRING THE WHOLE FAMILIES TO LIVE WITH THEM. EVEN BABIES DADDY TO GET HELP FOR THEM.GET FANCY CARS AND PAY LOW RENT. THE GOVERNMENT NEED TO WAKE UP. CONCERN
jp821

Posted on 08/26 at 05:50 PM
In response to the comment by Chavez99, wherein he/she states: "if you have ever been to Compton, you would know that the majority of the population is not Hispanic." Currently the Hispanic population of Compton, according to City-Data.com, is 56.8%. (A majority, for those who flunked math).
anonymous
Posted on 08/26 at 10:50 AM
I agree %100 with Mr. Frederick, but I also think that the Latino community can offer a lot to PWC. Too bad Hilda Barg hasn't done anything to help us....
kevmoney
Posted on 08/26 at 03:26 AM
Why hasn't the Federal or Local Gov't done anything about the problem? Our children will be the one's that ultimately suffer. They will have to compete for jobs, resources, and etc. It's not fair to the American people to have to deal with. They are rapidly becoming the majority race in the U.S.
Gov't needs to help
Posted on 08/26 at 03:26 AM
I concur with Mr Frederick that there is a big problem with illegal immigrants in N.VA. I'm a life long resident(27yrs)of NOVA and have seen the area go through some BIG changes. The biggest being the influx of the latino population in the Woodbridge area. Latinos are flocking here by the thousands for work and we keep promoting jobs to them thanks to the housing boom and also the day labor sites. People overlook the fact they're here illegally because they're cheap labor. Lets send them home.
Nomoreillegals
Posted on 08/26 at 03:26 AM
Illegal immigration is a HUGE problem here in PWC and Northern VA. I have had more than one friend get hit by these illegals and they just drive off. No insurance, no license, they dont care at all. That of course leaves the person in the right to pay for it. Just like the publicly funded illegal work force center the ACLU and company wanted to put in PWC. Our TAXPAYER money paying for people who don't pay taxes????
JW
Posted on 08/25 at 09:10 PM
I have reported over-crowding by illegal immigrates that live on the same street as I do...PWC has done nothing! I have even reported it to the Department of Homeland Security...same result, nothing! We need to elect people who WILL enforce both Virginia and Federal Laws! On the work issue, most do not have insurance to perform work and or are not recognized as a contractor in the state of Virginia (they cannot provide legal status for themselves). I've here in VA since 1991, time to move!
Triangle

Posted on 08/25 at 09:10 PM
I totally agree to declaring a state of emergency. Illegal immigration is out of control. States need to take immediate action to protect their legal citizens from economic ruin since the federal government has failed its constitutional duty to protect the borders. Any state that declares an emergency should then sue the federal government for recompensation for doing their work.
Scott Bell

Posted on 08/25 at 09:10 PM
I do not agree with Mr Frederick. I am a legal inmigrant who lived in Prince William for 17 years. I came into PW when Prince William was known as "where the real VA began" In the 90'when our diverse community started growing. The Chinn Library and I introduced the "story time" in Spanish and English to celebrate our diversity. Today in the 2005 people in PW are so hate driven. I blame people like Mr Frederick who has benefit his political career by feeding people with hate and fear to get votes
msindy58

Posted on 08/25 at 09:10 PM
Latinos have made inroads in VA's agriculture fields, construction and landscapeing though not to the extent as in other states. VA is lucky that it can tap into the WVA, TN labor pools which have lots of ablebodied willing to work people who come from states without very generous welfare. CA is the opposite end of the spectrum. High cost of living with wages driven down have created a welfare/ssdi factory. In CA close to a million who should be in the fields are lazy and in school with stat $s
Sam

if the Governors of every state declared a state of emergency, Congress would be forced to DO SOMETHING . . . .

I think that's a pretty good plan!

You could probably count on 49 of them since brother jeb is in FLA

Originally Posted by Rockfish

You could probably count on 49 of them since brother jeb is in FLA

you're right ... I think we could easily make that 48 states . . .

Mexican Presidential Race Kicks Off ... in Los Angeles

and everybody thought we'd lose California one day and it would fall off in the ocean --- but instead it's under foreign occupation